


THE EXPERT 
WO#D FINISHER 



A.ASHMUN KELLY 




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in 2011 with funding from 
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THE EXPERT WOOD 
FINISHED 



A HAND BOOK FOR EXPERT WORKMEN AND LEARN- 
ERS IN THE ART AND PRACTISE OF FINISH- 
ING WOODS BY STAINING, FILLING, 
VARNISHING, RUBBING, POLISH- 
ING, OILING, WAXING, 
ETC. 



With a Glossary and Table of Contents for 
Easy Reference. 

BY 

A. ASHMUN KELLY 

w 
Expert Workman, Formerly Instructor in the Technical 

Institute, Indianapolis, Ind., Publisher of 
The Master Painter Magazine, and Au- 
thor and Publisher of the Ex- 
pert Series of Techni- 
cal Works. 



SECOND EDITION 



A. ASHMUN KELLY 
1915 






Copyrighted 191 5 
By A. ASHMUN KELLY 



J. F. TAPLEY CO. 

NEW YORK 

FEB -5 1915 






CI. A 3916 01 






TABLE OF CONTENTS 

CHAPTER I 
DESCRIPTION OF WOODS USED IN WOOD FINISHING 

Oak — Mahogany — Maple — Red Gum — Birch — Beech 

— Redwood — Cypress — Hard or Yellow Pine — Syca- 
more — Ash — Walnut — Rosewood — Cherry — Chest- 
nut — Butternut 1-12 

CHAPTER II 

HOW TO FINISH HARD AND SOFT WOODS 

List of Soft, Medium Hard, and Hard Woods — How to 
Fill the Open-Grain Woods — Filling with Paste Filler — 
How to Make Paste Fillers — Commercial Filler For- 
mulas — Paste Fillers — ■ Barytes Filler — A Best Hard- 
wood Filler — Light Paste Filler — Car Painters' Filler 

— Cornstarch Filler — Fillers for Unusual Jobs — Marble 
Dust or Plaster Filler — Wax Hardwood Filler — 
Filler for Very Open-Pore Wood — Glue Paste Filler 

— Non-Shrinkable Paste Filler — Lime and Flour 
Filler — Compound Paste Filler — Silica Filler — Add- 
ing Color to Filler — Table of Colors Used in Paste 
Fillers: Light Oak — Dark Oak — Golden Oak — Wal- 
nut — Mahogany — Redwood — Brazil Wood — 
Cherry — Fillers for Various Woods: Ash — Butter- 
nut — Beech — Birch — Cherry — Cypress — Chestnut 

— Elm — Ebony — Maple — Mahogany — Oak — Rose- 
wood — Red Gum — Sycamore — Redwood — Walnut 

— White Pine — Some Notes on Fillers and Filling : 
Sandpaper and Its Using — Filling Woods with Liquid 
Filler — Liquid Filler Formulas — Silica Filler — China 
Clay Filler — Transparent Liquid Filler — Imitation Shel- 
lac Filler or Surfacer — Oil-Thinned Filler — Surfacing 
or Priming Work — How to Fill and Finish the Woods : 
Ash — Butternut — Beech — Birch — Cherry — Cypress 

— Chestnut — Elm — Ebony — Maple — Mahogany — 
Oak — Fuming Oak — Imitation Fuming — Rosewood 

— Redwood — Red Gum — Sycamore — Walnut — 
White Pine — Yellow Pine — Georgia Pine — White- 
wood — 'Finishing Fireproofed Wood-Staining and Fin- 
ishing House Trim — Imitation of Hard Woods — How 
to Print on Woods to Imitate Oaks — Finishes in Favor 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

— The Grays in Oak — Wood Stains and Their Use — 
Stain Formulas for Hard and Soft Woods — To Match 
Brown Oak — Weathered Oak — Bog Oak — Mission 
Oak — Flemish Oak — Light and Dark Oak — Golden 
Oak — Antwerp Oak — Gray Oak — Dark Oak Stains — 
Antique Oak — Various Stains for Various Woods : 
Brown Stains — Black Stains — Black Stains for New 
Furniture — Black or Ebony Stains — Red Ebony Stain 

— Lignum Vitse — Best Woods for Ebonizing — Com- 
mon Black Staining — Polish for Ebony Wood — Walnut 
Stains — Cherry Stains — Red Stains — Blue Stains — 
Green Stains — Green Stain for Oak — Yellow Stains — 
Gray Stain — Rosewood Stain 13-84 

CHAPTER III 

PIANO FINISHING 

Directions for Preparing Piano Cases and Finishing Same — 
How to Finish an Antique Piano Case — Finishing an 
Antique Oak Case — Another Piano Finishing Process — 
Finishing a Rosewood Case — Mechanical Varnishing — 
How to Prevent Cracking of Varnish on Cases — Trou- 
bles with Shellac Finish 85-91 

CHAPTER IV 
FRENCH POLISHING 

Description of the Process — Various Polish Formulas : Pol- 
ish for Turners' Work — Polish to Stand Water — 
Ebony Polish — Polish for Fine Cabinet Work — Polish 
for Dark WiOods — Polish for Carved Work — Polishing 
Walnut — Varnish Polish — Polish for Hard Wood — 
Polish for Papier Mache — White Polish for Light 
Woods — Useful Polish for Dark Furniture — Piano 
Polishes 92-99 

CHAPTER V 

THE ACID METHOD 

Full Description of the German Acid Method for Finishing 
Furniture 100-103 

CHAPTER VI 

HOW TO FINISH VENEERED WORK 

Veneers Described — ■ Why Veneers Grain Out — Polishing 
Veneered Work — Protecting Inlay and Marquetry Work 
While Finishing — Water-Proof Polish for Veneer Work 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

— Varnish Stains: Walnut Varnish Stain — Oak Varnish 
Stain — Cherry Varnish Stain — Ebony Varnish Stain — 
Satinwood Varnish Stain 103-108 

CHAPTER VII 

STAINING WICKERWARE AND WILLOW FURNITURE 

Mordanting — Brown Stain — Blue Stain — Yellow Stain — 
Green Stain — Staining Old Wickerware — Gray Stain 

— The Aniline Stains — Staining Willow Furniture — 
Table Showing the Equivalents of Water Colors with 
Aniline Dyes 109-113 

CHAPTER VIII 
FINISHING NEW FURNITURE 

The Three Forms of Furniture Finishing — How to Prepare 
and Fill the Wood — How to Rub the Filling — Varnish- 
ing — Polishing — Doing Cheap Grade Furniture — The 
Various Varnishes Used 114-119 

CHAPTER IX 

MAKING ANTIQUE FURNITURE 

How Oak and Mahogany are Treated to Give Them the Ap- 
pearance of Old Age — Full Description .... 120-121 

CHAPTER X 

RE-FINISHING OLD FURNITURE 

How to Do Up Old Furniture — Preparing the Surface — Re- 
pairing Parts — Enameled Furniture — Re-Polishing — 
Coloring Up — Furniture Polishes — Furniture Cream — 
French Re- Polisher — Furniture Revivers — French Pol- 
ish Reviver — Derby Cream — Furniture Renovating 
Polish — Furniture Polishers and Revivers — Twenty 
Formulas 122-132 

CHAPTER XI 

HOW TO TREAT STAINS, WHITE SPOTS, ETC., ON 

FURNITURE 

White Spots — Varnish Bloom — Dull Appearance — Stains 

— Finger Marks on Piano — Greasy Appearance After 
Polishing — Bruises on Furniture — Fine Cracks on Ma- 
hogany — Restoring Color to Old Mahogany — Specks on 
Rosewood Piano — Pitting of Varnish on Piano — Dis- 
colored Woods — To Remove Aniline Stain from Hands 

— Cleaning Dirty Worn Surface — Bleaches for Stains 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

— Sticky Pews — Removing Ink Spots — Rust Stains — 
Stains on Wood — Dirty Hardwood Finish — Bleaching 
Stains — White Marks on Wax Finish — How to Protect 
Wax Finish from Water 133-139 

CHAPTER XII 

REMOVING VARNISH FROM OLD WORK 

Removal by Alcohol — Alkali Removers — Fusel Oil Remover 

— Banana Liquid — Commercial Removers — Formulas — 
Carbolic Acid Removers — Notes on Varnish Removers 
and Their Using 140-145 

CHAPTER XIII 
VIOLIN VARNISHING 

How to Prepare, Stain and Varnish Old and New Violins — 
Doing Up Cheap and Costly Violins 146-147 

CHAPTER XIV 

PREPARING AND USING FLATTING AND OTHER 
VARNISHES 

How to Make Flatting Varnish — How to Apply — Varnish 
and Its Application — Practical Points on Varnishing — 
Number of Coats to Apply — Varnish to Resist Heat — 
Characteristics of Good Varnish — 'Aged vs. New Var- 
nish — Effects of Temperature — The Making of Varnish 

— Short Oil and Long Oil Varnish — Some Varnish 
Notes — Varnish Troubles — Supplementary Notes — 
Uncorking Varnish Before Using — Temperature of 
Work and Stock Room — Varnish Cracking . . . 148-165 

CHAPTER XV 

FINISHING HARDWOOD FLOORS 

Various Floors Described and How to Finish — Finishing a 
Hard Pine Floor — Polishing Hardwood Floor — Floor 
Wax Formulas — Pointers on Floor Waxing — Crack 
Fillers and Floor Putties — Georgia Pine Floor — Shel- 
laced Floor — Dancing Floor — Bath Room Floor — 
How to Prepare Floor Oil — Putties and Cements for 
Hard Wood Floors — Floor Varnish Formula — Treat- 
ing Old or Soiled Floors — Cleaning Natural Wood 
Floor — Coal Oil Stains — Worn Maple Floor — Soiled 
Wax Floor — How to Keep Waxed Floor in Good Con- 
dition — Renovating Old Floor — Discoloration from 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Soap, Alkali, etc. — Bleaching Old Oiled Floor — Re- Var- 
nish a Floor — Renovated Floors Need Cleaning Off — 
But Will Lack in Durability — Touching-U'p Old Var- 
nished Floor — Caring for the Floor — borne Floor 
Notes 166-189 

CHAPTER XVI 

SAP AND SEASONING 

Reason Why Oaks of One Kind May Act Differently in the 
Finishing — Influence of Tannic Acid — Action of Sap on 
the Finish — How to Remove the Sap — Staining the 
Ends of the Boards — Shop Economics .... 190-193 

CHAPTER XVII 

STAINING BEFORE USING 

A New-Old Method of Staining Wood in the Tree — Stain- 
ing Woods by Injection of Stain Under Pressure — In- 
teresting Theories and Experiments, Practical and Other- 
wise 194-196 

CHAPTER XVIII 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Liquid Glue Filler — Waterglass Liquid Filler — Finishing a 
Table Top to Withstand Heat — Adding Perfume to Re- 
viver — Hard Varnish for Table Top — Solubility of 
Varnish Gums — Covering Capacity of Varnishes — Oak 
in the Natural Finish — Finishing Exterior of Hard- 
wood Doors — Matching Parts of Old Work — Matching 
a Dark Oak — Bleaching Wood — Finishing a Bowling 
Alley Floor — Finishing Laboratory Table Top — Wax 
Stained for Colored Woods — Chamois Skin — The 
Sponge — Pinholing — Tacky Varnish — Testing Var- 
nish — Testing Turpentine — China Wood Oil, with 
Formulas — Brush Preservation — Descriptive List of 
Supplies Used in Finishing Room 197-215 

CHAPTER XIX 
SHELLAC VARNISH 

How Lac is Obtained — The Different Grades of Lac De- 
scribed — Chemical Composition — Adulteration — Tests 
— ■ White or Bleached Shellac, How Made — How Re- 
fined — Orange Shellac — Action of Grain and Wood Al- 
cohol — Preparing Shellac Varnish — Artificial Shellac — 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

How Made — Water Shellac, Alkali Emulsion — Clear 
Alcoholic Solution Shellac — Some Notes on Shellac 216-232 

CHAPTER XX 

GLOSSARY 

Description of Terms Used, Liquids, Solids — Chemicals, 
Dyes, Pigments, Anilines, etc 232-249 



PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION 

In a little over two years the Expert Wood Finisher 
has run through its first edition, which was made large 
in anticipation of a large demand. Usually, technical 
books have a rather slow and limited sale, this being 
particularly true of works issued in the interests of 
painters, etc., but the Expert Wood Finisher has proved 
a notable exception to the rule. While the fact of its 
large and ready sale has primarily been due to its prac- 
tical character, yet the author would feel derelict if he 
failed to mention the many very flattering press notices 
that the book elicited. Such notices did much to bring 
the book into more general notice, and to assist in its 
sale. Then there were the many book catalogs which 
listed it, due to which were many sales. Pratt Institute 
listed it in their catalog under the head of " books worth 
while," and the Director of the Library connected with 
that noble institution for helping men spoke very favor- 
ably of it. Sales were also made through the agency 
of many book concerns throughout the United States and 
Canada, A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, and Taylor & 
Baker Co., of New York, keeping it in stock. Henry 
Bosch Co., Chicago and New York, buy it in quantities 
and are among its heaviest sellers, mainly among 
painters. The book is also advertised in the trade jour- 
nals going to publishers and book sellers, and many 
public libraries of the country, from coast to coast, and 
including Canada, have bought it. Several trades jour- 
nals also have sold many copies of the book. 

And now a second edition is called for. This will be 
a new edition, not simply a re-print. The entire book 



PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION 

has been re-written, or re-arranged, and many valuable 
additions have been made to it, with the elimination of 
some matter, deemed necessary in order to put the work 
right up to date. In its new form the book is even more 
useful than the first edition. Those who have the first 
edition will find it worth while to buy the second. 

A. Ashmun Kelly. 



THE EXPERT WOOD 
FINISHER 



CHAPTER I 

DESCRIPTION OF WOODS USED IN WOOD 
FINISHING 

OAK. — Only the use of their scientific names can 
prevent confusion when speaking of the oaks. 
Foresters divide all the various oaks into two 
distinct groups, namely, the white and the black. The 
woods of the two groups are structurally different. The 
true white oak, Quercus alba, is merely one of the species 
which make up the white oak group. Red oak has a 
number of other common names, such as mountain oak, 
black oak, and Spanish oak, yet it is a member of the 
black oak group. Red oak is more abundant than white 
oak, grows faster, and is generally regarded as inferior; 
the two species often grow together and occupy the same 
general region. When white oak was abundant it was 
derived almost entirely from the true white oak, the 
Quercus alba, but now what passes for white oak is usu- 
ally a mixture of different oaks, in which there may be 
no true white oak at all. The true white oak combines 
approximately the utmost strength and toughness of any 
of the timber oaks, excepting possibly the Southern live' 
oak, prized for ship building. At one time white oak 
forests extended from the Atlantic seaboard to about 
Missouri, and seemed in inexhaustible supply. 

1 



2 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Of the white oak group those most used, in addition to 
the true white oak, are burr oak, chestnut oak, post oak, 
chinquapin oak, swamp white oak, cow oak, and overcup 
oak. Of the black oak group the most used are, Texas 
red oak, red oak, and spotted or water oak. Real white 
oak of No. i quality is very largely cut into quarter- 
sawed boards, while a combination of one or more white 
oaks and red oak may constitute cuts of " white oak." 
In many markets the term " cabinet white oak " is under- 
stood to include a mixture of red and white oaks, but not 
infrequently it means simply red oak. However, for all 
the purposes for which white oak is commonly used, 
practically all the trees of this group will yield woods 
that can be interchanged and will serve equally well. 

Live oak is not used in wood finishing, yet it is well 
adapted for that purpose, being very hard and compact, 
close of grain, taking a high polish, and growing darker 
and handsomer with time. But the woodworker will find 
it very difficult to work. It seems never to have been 
sawed into quarters, though owing to its known grain 
it is sure that no figure would result from quarter-saw- 
ing. Nor is it ever made up into boards, its sole use be- 
ing for ships. Its botanical name is Quercus zrirens, so 
named because it retains its green leaves until the new 
foliage of the next season appears. Its habitat is the 
Atlantic and Gulf coasts, from Norfolk to Texas. 

What is known as quartered oak is said to have origi- 
nated in Indiana, about 1871 or 1872, but the beautiful 
markings shown have been familiar for many years, and 
always admired. Probably they have been known in our 
country since the time of the earliest settlers who, in cut- 
ting oaks for fences and clapboards and other building 
lumber, split the wood in such a manner as to reveal 
these beautiful flakes and hearts to the best advantage; 
many old-time houses still show, in their well-worn 
stairs, the quartered effect. In modern practice the oak 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 3 

log is first sawed through, in regular order, when it is 
desired to get simply the straight grain effect; and to get 
the quartered effect the log is sawn so as to produce four 
quarters, these in turn being sawed at right angles with 
their V shape; this process involves great loss of wood 
which, however, can still be utilized in other ways. 

Mahogany. — While many woods are known as ma- 
hogany, yet but one is justly entitled to the name, that 
one being the wood of the species called Swietenia Ma- 
hogani, order of Meliaceae. Probably no other order of 
trees yields such a variety of valuable wood, and of 
which the true mahogany is the most important. The 
term white mahogany is sometimes heard, but such is not 
a true mahogany, for the color of true mahogany, red, is 
a distinguishing feature of that wood. It is, rather, a 
rich red-brown, a color that may be made by mixing to- 
gether eighty-five parts of black with fifteen parts of 
yellow or orange chrome. Or by this formula: Black, 
eighty-three parts ; red, four parts ; and orange yellow, 
thirteen parts. This reddish-brown color of true mahog- 
any is not dull, but lustrous, in some instances reaching 
the degree known as " fire." Cape mahogany shows 
much of this fire or phosphorescent luster. 

Baywood is a name used to describe mahogany, some 
believing it is simply a substitute for true mahogany, 
whereas, it is a name once given to true mahogany be- 
cause of the place of its growth, the Bay Islands, of 
Honduras. Even now true mahogany wood is spoken 
of as baywood. The mahogany from Central America 
used to be called baywood, whilst that from the West 
Indies was called Spanish mahogany. It is likely that 
much of the mahogany used now is really Spanish cedar. 
It is stated by an authority that fifty different woods are 
sold under the name of mahogany ; twenty-five under 
the name of cedar; and more than a dozen each under 
the names of rosewood, satinwood and boxwood. 



4 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Touching the physical characteristics of mahogany, it 
is cold to the touch, it is a heavy wood, being very hard 
and close grained; it is durable, and seldom warps, 
cracks, or shrinks under trying conditions, if well sea- 
soned. It stands all climates and is very lasting under 
water, if kept constantly wet. It is mostly all heart- 
wood, with usually only a thin rind of sap wood. The 
cabinet maker finds it a very difficult wood to work, owing 
to its irregular grain, and this feature of the wood proves 
troublesome to the wood finisher as well. True bay- 
wood, the name given to a wood resembling true mahog- 
any, as well as to the real mahogany itself, is a scarce 
wood now, but was a very poor substitute for mahogany, 
because it was very soft and light and possessed none of 
the fine markings that mahogany has, its grain being 
straight. Yet as it had some of the color of mahogany 
and took stain well, it was useful for making a substitute 
mahogany. 

Circassian mahogany comes from the tree Juglans 
Regia, which grows on the southern side of the Cau- 
casus mountains. The wood is of rare beauty both in 
color, figure, and contrasting veins in the dark tones with 
the delicate ivory surface of the body. These contrast- 
ing shades and figures are found in infinite variety. The 
beauty of this wood is doubtless the effect of certain 
peculiarities or defects of growth, the most beautiful 
wood being the most defective. Circassian mahogany 
wood is used mostly for veneers. But owing to the 
scarcity of this wood, particularly the choice burl parts, 
the veneers are usually made extremely thin, and when 
this occurs the finish is sure to be unsatisfactory, hence 
many people are prejudiced against it. It is particularly 
handsome for picture frames. 

Maple. — This is one of our finest and most useful 
hard woods. The ancient Romans highly prized it for 
making pieces of furniture ; Pliny tells us that it could be 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 5 

had only in small pieces, that it was used for making 
writing desks, etc. The maple is of the genus Acer, 
all its species being confined to the north temperate zone, 
these species being eighty in number, only nine or ten be- 
ing native in the United States. The woods of interest 
to the wood worker and finisher are the hard or rock 
maple, or sugar maple, the white or silver maple, and the 
birdseye maple, sometimes called the curly maple. There 
is an Oregon maple of great beauty when finished, it be- 
ing light in color, with a surface covered with small wav- 
ing lines, these showing beautifully at any time, but par- 
ticularly in the glow of artificial light. Ordinary hard 
maple has little particular beauty as regards figure, but 
its color and fine hard grain make a very fine finish, and 
the wood is very useful in furniture making and for 
floors. The curly or birdseye maple is used solid and 
also in veneers. Its grain varies as the saw divides its 
eyes transversely or longitudinally, and pieces cut out in 
circular sweeps, such as chair backs, sometimes exhibit 
both the birdseye and the mottle at different parts. The 
occurrence of eyes, zones, spots, and small curls in this 
wood form figures of much beauty. The wood shows, in 
the finished work, the peculiar appearance of small dots 
or ridges, or of little conical projections, with a small 
hollow in the center, but without any resemblance of 
knots, the apparent cause of ornament in other woods of 
similar character, as the burrs of the yew and Russian 
maple, or birch. Formerly it was thought that these so- 
called eyes were the result of birds pecking at the bark, 
but Holtzappfel investigated the matter carefully and 
found that they were caused by little spines or points in 
the bark, the layers of wood being molded upon these 
points, and each of their fibers is abruptly curved at the 
respective places, and when cut through they give, in 
tangential slices, the appearance of projections, the same 
as some rose-engine patterns. 



6 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

The white or silver maple also gives a very fine finish 
at the hands of the expert wood finisher. It is specially 
useful for stiles and rails of doors, surrounding birdseye 
panels, etc. 

Red Gum. — This wood is sometimes called ""satin 
walnut," a lumber trade name, but it possesses beauty 
enough to entitle it to its true name. The tree is a very 
common one in the Southern States, growing to magnifi- 
cent proportions in the best soils. Its heart shows a wide 
range of both color and figure; it is slightly darker than 
newly cut mahogany, and some parts of it are more 
elaborately figured than that wood. The color in general 
resembles that of mahogany. It is liable to warp and 
twist, but careful seasoning tends to reduce this to the 
minimum. Many costly buildings in the east and west 
are finished in this wood, and much is also used in furni- 
ture making. Finished natural, the wood yields a very 
pleasing effect, filler and varnish bringing out its hand- 
some figure and color; or it may be stained variously. 
For the floor it looks best done natural. Being a very 
tough and good wearing wood it is well adapted for 
floors. If used for exterior siding it should be primed 
before being put up. It contains no acid sap, hence takes 
paint very well, and will not rust out nails. While its 
figure resembles mahogany somewhat, yet its color is 
more like that of cherry ; the grain of the wood is close, 
and it takes a very fine polish. Its red color takes on a 
purple cast, very rich and soft. 

Birch. — This wood is close-grained, and is capable of 
taking a high polish. There are the sweet or black birch, 
the yellow or gray birch, the red birch, and the white or 
paper birch. The wood comes both straight and curly, 
the grain is fine and its texture close. Generally its 
grain runs straight, and while it is a heavy, hard wood, it 
is never tough or cross-grained. It is easily cleaned up 
and made ready for finishing. It is usually stained, but 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 7 

mahogany color does not look well on it; white birch 
usually is finished natural ; a dull finish is best for any 
birch. 

The sapwood of yellow birch is yellowish, the heart- 
wood light to dark reddish brown. It is the heartwood of 
birch that furnishes the beautiful red birch, which has 
no superior even in mahogany. Both sapwood and heart- 
wood take a brilliant, satiny polish. The figure of curly 
birch is especially attractive, while the sparkling luster of 
the finished wood gives a richness of tone such as is 
usually looked for only in the costliest imported woods. 

Fine as this wood is it has its disadvantages too. 
First, it is difficult to finish natural, on account of its 
lack of uniformity of color and marking; stained birch is 
apt to fade. On its behalf it may be said that it has the 
highest physics, or quality, of any American hardwood 
growing in reasonably large quantity, excepting that of 
the best types of oak. It has a strength and density far 
superior to gum, will hold its finish better, and when 
stained with any other than aniline stain will hold color 
as well as any wood. Briefly summed up, birch has 
density, weight, strength, good working qualities, and 
moderate cost. The woodworker will likely find fault 
with birch on account of the oil it contains, and which 
he says prevents proper gluing of joints. Excepting in 
the best grades of furniture he does not try to match the 
wood's figure very closely, so that in a glued-up job he 
can put the sap edges together and the heart edges to- 
gether, which will insure a good glued joint. Then the 
finisher can stain the light parts to match the dark, and 
follow with a light coat of stain to make all harmonize. 
Or he may stain the filler too. 

Beech. — The red variety of this wood is very hand- 
some, and makes a very good imitation of cherry when 
stained. It has a fine grain and is a very durable wood. 
When quarter-sawed its beauty is further enhanced. 



8 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Like birch, it came into general use when other used hard- 
woods became scarce and dear. It has for years been 
used for making tool handles, etc. 

Redwood. — This wood grows only in California, and 
there only in very restricted parts, the home of the famous 
big trees, of which there are two species, Sequoia Gigant- 
ica or big tree, and Semper Virens, or ever-living tree. 
We get our redwood from the latter tree, the wood from 
the former being valueless for building purposes. Red- 
wood is very durable, but is a rather difficult wood to 
paint on, though it is not difficult to finish with stain and 
varnish. It contains a sap of a gummy nature, and this 
prevents the proper drying of paint or oil upon its sur- 
face. Hence oil stain is not the best for it. Yet it con- 
tains no pitch. It has a hard heart-growth, non-absorb- 
ent, with a soft body outside of that. It has a good 
color, so may be finished natural, making a very hand- 
some finish too. 

Cypress. — This is a Southern tree, the Taxodium Dis- 
tichum of the scientist, its leaves, being narrow, placing 
it among the soft woods. Locally it is variously known 
as bald, black, white, red and deciduous cypress. It is 
not as abundant as the pines, and in its uses and appear- 
ance it is not unlike white cedar; a very durable wood. 
It has good color, is free from sap, has a straight grain, 
and is light and strong, and is extensively used in house 
trim. Exposed to the weather unpainted the wood be- 
comes dark and unsightly, but when used inside, although 
it darkens in time, yet the darkening is rich, not unsightly. 
One of its objections is to quickly rise its grain under the 
influence of any dampness, making the surface rough ; 
hence it should be finished as soon as possible after being 
put in place. 

Hard or Yellow Pine. — The pine is a member of a 
large family of useful trees, Coniferce. It is not difficult 
to tell a pine from a spruce, or fir, larch, cedar, etc., of the 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 9 

same family, and formerly included in the same genus, 
Pinus. The pine is easily distinguished by its evergreen, 
needle-like and short or long leaves, and its cones. Of 
the some seventy-six species known twenty-six are found 
in the United States, among which the most common 
are the white pine, now nearing extinction in our forests, 
the long-leaf, Southern yellow, or Georgia pine, the lob- 
lolly, the red pine. Then there is the Douglas pine of 
the Pacific coast, sometimes called the Oregon pine and 
Douglas spruce, a tree that grows to an immense height, 
as much as 300 feet in some cases, with a diameter of 
eight to fifteen feet. The long-leaved pine, called also 
Georgia pine, hard pine, yellow pine, and red pine, is one 
of the most important of the family in our country, for it 
gives a good building lumber and furnishes the rosin, 
turpentine, etc., of commerce, and as fuel makes a very 
hot flame ; it is often used also for railroad ties, though 
not so desirable for this purpose. It is a very hard, 
strong, compact yellow or reddish wood, and is highly 
resinous. There is also the heavy-wooded pine of the 
Rocky Mountain regions, the wood being strong, coarse- 
grained, yellowish, and heavy, and is used mostly for 
floor joists, flooring, and heavy carpenter work gener- 
ally. 

The long-leaved pine is called for distinction the 
Southern yellow pine. The name yellow pine is ap- 
plicable to any of various species of Pinus, but espe- 
cially of the common yellow pine found east of the Rocky 
Mountains, and which is also known as spruce, bull pine, 
and, in contrast with the Southern yellow pine, short- 
leaved pine. White pine is a term applied to any one of 
several species of Pinus having a white or whitish wood, 
and their leaves in clusters of five. The once common 
white pine (P. Str obits) of the northern United States 
and Canada has been the most valuable tree for building 
purposes in this country. There are still some kinds of 



10 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

white pine that serve to take its place, but in color, texture 
or grain it is not equal to the old white pine. But there 
is a vast quantity of it, however. 

The Georgia pine has straight grain, while the North 
Carolina pine has a very beautiful variegated mottle. 

Sycamore. — This is the American plane tree, but more 
commonly known as the sycamore, or buttonball. It is 
one of several trees constituting the genus Platanus. The 
tree differs so much in appearance from any other tree 
that it is one of the most easily recognized. Its wood is 
very dense, its markings beautiful, and it is further im- 
proved in this latter respect by quarter-sawing. It takes 
a handsome finish. Oregon sycamore resembles the birch 
of the Eastern states in its markings, having waving lines 
that run close together. It is a tough and strong wood, 
and well adapted for making veneers. 

Ash. — There are several varieties of the ash, but the 
ash tree furnishing the most valuable timber of any is 
the white ash (Frasinus Americana) of the United States 
and Canada, a large forest tree, having a light, tough, 
elastic, hard, close-grained wood, and which is specially 
adapted for making agricultural implements, wagons, etc., 
no other wood serving as well the purposes mentioned. 

The ash of the Eastern states has a close, even grain, 
while that of Oregon has peculiar figurings of concentric 
curves, taking a very fine polish. Ash is used now in 
connection with common oak, passing as oak when stained 
and finished as such. Although the grain of the two 
woods is entirely different, yet with filling and staining 
ash looks very like oak; often it is used for cheap furni- 
ture, selling under the name of oak, or used with oak in 
the same piece of furniture, to save the costlier oak in 
certain parts of the work. Hungarian ash has a beauti- 
ful burl, making fine panels and veneers. The English 
white ash is similar to the American and Canada white 
ash. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 11 

Walnut. — The walnut is a tree of the genus Juglans, 
the two members of this family of most importance being 
the Persian or so-called English walnut, /. Regia, whose 
wood is excellent for cabinet work, and the black or 
American walnut, /. Nigra, a darker colored wood than 
that of the English walnut and of greater value for cabinet 
work. Black walnut once grew in vast areas in our 
country, especially in the Middle West, the State of In- 
diana most particularly, where it covered nearly the en- 
tire state. Now probably very few specimens of this 
noble and useful tree exist there, and few specimens may 
be found anywhere in our domains. Less than fifty 
years ago the finest furniture was that made from black 
walnut, and to-day it is used in preference to any other 
wood for making gunstocks. The tree grows well in 
any part of the eastern half of our country, but does best 
in a moist, rich soil, grows fast, and is easily raised from 
the seed. The figure of the wood varies according to the 
manner or location of its growth, that growing in forests 
having a straight grain, while single specimens, growing 
in the open, usually have more or less figuring and bet- 
ter or deeper color. The wood is easily worked and is 
susceptible to a fine finish. French walnut comes in the 
burl variety, and is used for veneers. 

Rosewood. — A fragrant cabinet wood having a close 
grain, which is more or less variegated, and very hard 
and dark. It is a Brazilian tree, of the genus Dalbergia, 
the wood which we meet with being from the D. Nigra, 
the most highly prized of the many members of the genus. 
It gets its name from the fact that when fresh the wood 
is rose-scented. There are inferior grades of this family 
of trees, of other species, known as violet wood, king- 
wood, etc. 

Cherry. — This is one of the most valuable of all our 
native woods, bearing a valuable fruit, yielding a fine 
wood for cabinet work, and its wood giving a good flame, 



12 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

when used as cordvvood. It belongs to the genus Primus, 
the two most useful cabinet woods being the wild black 
and cultivated cherry. It is what wood finishers term a 
close-grained wood. Usually it is stained to imitate ma- 
hogany, yet its natural color is good, and will give a fine 
effect when finished natural. As an imitation of mahog- 
any, however, it is equaled by no other wood. 

Chestnut. — A tall, familiar tree of the oak family, 
Castanea vesca, found growing in poor, stony soils in the 
eastern part of the United States, and not doing well in 
rich soils. The recent appearance of a disease among 
these trees in certain parts of the Middle and New Eng- 
land states at first threatened to destroy the species en- 
tirely, but at this writing the situation appears more 
favorable, with the disease under control. The wood is 
coarse of grain and very open of pore, so that it requires 
to be filled with paste filler in its finishing, as will be de- 
scribed fully in another place. The wood is used largely 
in house building, and carefully selected parts skillfully put 
together make very handsome doors, panels, etc. Cheap 
furniture is made from this wood, and usually is stained 
to imitate oak. It possesses many good physical feat- 
ures, being easy to work, not inclined to warp or twist, 
not affected by dampness, but its coarse grain and very 
coarse heart growths make it less desirable for cabinet 
work or house trim. 

Butternut. — This wood is little used by the wood fin- 
isher, and little need be said concerning it. It is the 
North American white walnut, Juglans Cinerea. 



CHAPTER II 
HOW TO FINISH HARD AND SOFT WOODS 

THE wood-finisher has to take the wood as it comes 
from the wood-worker's hands, and if the latter 
has done his part well, then the finisher may pro- 
ceed at once to fill, stain and varnish the wood as may be 
required. Otherwise, if the wood is not in proper condi- 
tion for finishing, the finisher must take it in hand and 
make it fit. The surface must be made smooth with sand- 
paper, and after being made free of dust, the stain or 
filler, according to kind of finish, may be applied. Differ- 
ent woods require different treatment, as some are close 
grained, others coarse grained, while a third class is 
midway between the two. Each wood will be taken up 
and the method of treatment for each described in order. 
Also, the various kinds of finish, whether with stain, wax, 
or varnish, will be described. 

The woods classed as soft woods have a close grain, 
and such as wood-finishers have to finish are these : 

Bass Spruce 

Cedar Tamarack 

California Redwood White Pine 

Gum Washington Fir 

Oregon Pine Whitewood 

Poplar Yellow Pine 

The following named woods are classed as open- 
grained or hardwoods. 

13 



14 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 



Ash 


Chestnut 


Beech 


Elm 


Butternut 


Mahogany 


Baywood 


Oak 


Black Walnut 


Rosewood 



The woods that are placed in a third class, because they 
may be filled with paste or liquid filler, while the soft 
woods are filled only with liquid filler, and the hard 
woods with only paste filler, are these: 

Birch Circassian Walnut 

Cherry Maple 

In workshop parlance all the woods are called hard- 
woods, hence hardwood finishing, but it will be seen that 
there are about as many soft as hard woods treated by 
the so-called hardwood finisher. Yellow or hard pine 
can with greater accuracy be called a hard wood, rather 
than a soft wood, yet it takes the same filler as white 
pine, or as poplar or whitewood, which are very soft 
woods. In fact, no hard and fast lines can be laid to 
classify the different woods as to physical character- 
istics, excepting that which places them all either as re- 
quiring liquid or paste filling. So that we need not con- 
cern ourselves about classifying them as being either hard 
or soft. 

Filling the Open-Grained Woods. — These woods re- 
quire a paste filler, because this filler contains enough 
solid pigment to fill up the open pores of the wood, with 
sufficient liquid to carry the filling into the wood and 
saturate its cellular tissue; the filler also contains a dry- 
ing liquid in suitable quantity to hasten the drying and 
help the hardening of the filling. Some woods are so 
very open-grained that one coat of paste filler fails to 
fill properly, in which case two coats must be applied, or, 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 15 

in some cases, a coat of liquid filler over the coat of 
paste filler. As stated, the purpose of the paste filler is 
to fill up the open parts, making a hard and level sur- 
face for the subsequent coats of varnish, while the pur- 
pose of the liquid is to fill up the tissue or woody structure 
so that when the varnish is applied it will not sink into 
the wood and hence fail to " stand out," thereby necessi- 
tating added coats of varnish, involving extra time and 
expense. In preparing his filler, therefore, the finisher 
mixes it according to the requirements of the wood in 
hand. He can either mix his own paste and thin it to 
suit, or buy the paste. I give formulas for mixing vari- 
ous fillers, both liquid and paste, which see. 

In filling these woods we must take into consideration 
their natural color, also whether we wish to change this 
color by staining, or leave it " natural." Paste filler is 
light in color, something like the color of putty, and 
when filled into the wood it causes no particular dis- 
coloration, hence is used when the wood is light and it 
is desired to make a natural or light finish. But if we 
wish to produce a colored finish, then we must stain the 
wood and color the filler to match, making the filler 
rather darker, if anything, than the wood. The color 
should be as near the natural color of the wood as pos- 
sible, only a trifle darker. This is important. There 
are many ways for finishing, or staining at least, in order 
to get different effects, all of which will be described in 
the proper place. Sometimes the filler will be colored, 
while the wood will remain natural, or unstained; this 
gives a unique effect. Some finishers give the wood a 
coat of raw linseed oil, adding driers enough to dry the 
oil, and when this coating is dry they apply the filler, 
whether it be paste or liquid. They claim that this pre- 
vents the raw wood from absorbing too much liquid 
from the filler, and no doubt this is true, and not objec- 
tionable in any way. As paste filler is rather thick, too 



16 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

thick to spread with the brush, it must be thinned with 
turpentine until of the consistency of oil paint, and when 
ready to apply proceed as follows : 

Filling with Paste Filler. — There is a brush sold 
that is made particularly for paste filler, but many fin- 
ishers claim that nothing in the way of a filler brush ex- 
cels a short, stubby, half-worn flat paint brush, or a 
round paint brush, according to area of surface to be 
coated; a wide brush for a large surface, and smaller 
brush for smaller surface. The brush should be neither 
too stubby, nor too long of bristle. The paste must be 
well rubbed into the wood, and a liberal coating of the 
filler must be applied. Put plenty on, then rub it in well, 
rubbing across the grain of the wood, as in this way the 
filler will the more readily lodge in the open pores. This 
rubbing in is done, not with a brush, but preferably with 
a wad of tow or a piece of coarse burlap, just as soon 
as the paste filler " sets," or becomes " dead flat," or 
without luster; this will occur in about twenty minutes 
after the application of the filler. If allowed to be- 
come too dry it will be difficult to rub off, while if rubbed 
too soon much of the filler will be removed from the 
wood's pores. This rubbing forces into the pores all 
the filler they can take, while removing the surplus from 
the surface to some extent, that remaining being sand- 
papered off after it has become dry. A coarse material 
like excelsior, as used by some, is not advised, as being so 
coarse as to pull out instead of pushing in the paste 
filling. Cotton waste is not a bad rubbing material. 

The filled wood should stand at least twenty-four 
hours, and preferably forty-eight hours, before sand- 
papering and further treatment. The idea is to have the 
filling perfectly hard or dry before applying further coat- 
ings, as these latter would seal up the filler from the air, 
and by keeping it comparatively soft would cause trouble 
in the finish. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 17 

When perfectly dry, the work may be sandpapered 
smooth, and if the filling has been done properly the sur- 
face will be uniformly filled and solid. A magnifying 
glass of low power, such as one may buy for a trifle, 
is a useful help at this point of the work, as it will serve 
to indicate more clearly the exact condition of the filled 
surface. It would surprise you, too, for it would doubt- 
less show you that what you accepted to be a perfectly 
filled surface was at least something less perfect than 
that ; it might show you many little unfilled places. In 
such a case, and where it is desired to have an extra fine 
finish, it would be well to give it another filling. Varnish 
will not fill, at least not unless many coats are applied, 
each coat sandpapered or rubbed into the wood, which 
was the olden way. However, for ordinary work the 
usual good work in filling, one coat, will answer the 
purpose very well. 

Carved parts may be filled by paste filler made thinner 
than that used on the main work, applying it with a 
painter's sash tool, No. 4, and wiping off lightly with 
a clean cotton rag. If the filler should " set " too quickly 
add a few drops of raw oil to it. When dry, make smooth 
with No. o or 00 sandpaper, then dust off and finish as 
desired. The surplus filler found in the corners, mold- 
ings, etc., may be removed with a tool of soft wood, 
whittled to a point; the handle of a tooth brush, one end 
filed to a point, the other end made chisel-shaped, is a 
very useful and durable tool for the purpose. Where 
carved work is done such a tool is indispensable. 

How to Make the Filler. — There is no question 
among the best finishers as to the superiority of silica as 
the base for a paste filler. The silica must be the very 
finest, pulverized and " floated," and even in this condi- 
tion of fineness when placed under a magnifying glass of 
a certain power it may be seen as a mass of sharp pointed 
needles, or crystals, and it is for this reason that it 



18 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

makes such an excellent filler, the crystals filling and 
wedging fast in the pores of the wood, and being of an in- 
destructible nature, unaffected by any ordinary agency 
that would injure any vegetable filler, like cornstarch, for 
instance, makes it doubly desirable. Yet many still use 
the cornstarch filler. The following formula calls for 
silica, and is one of the best we have. Mix together two 
parts of best coach japan, and three parts of pure raw 
linseed oil, each by weight; take pulverized silica enough 
to form a stiff paste, and, if possible, run the mass 
through a paint mill, to thoroughly incorporate the in- 
gredients. If this cannot be done, then work the mass 
in a vessel, then work further on a stone or board, the 
idea being to get the ingredients perfectly mixed. Color- 
ing may be added before the mixing, if color is desired. 
For use the paste must be thinned down with turpentine 
to the required consistency. Such a paste filler is about 
what one might buy ready-made and sold as first-quality. 
China clay is sometimes added to the silica, or in some 
cases the clay is the only pigment used ; it is not as good 
as silica, however. 

Some Commercial Filler Formulae. — It is well for 
the workman to understand all things that pertain to 
his calling, having a good working knowledge of the 
things that he uses, as well as of the manner of their 
using. Hence it will interest and instruct him by giving 
the following factory formulas for fillers ; it will show 
how other pigments, not as good as silica, are used. 

HARD WOOD OR PASTE FILLERS. 

Barytes Filler. — Bastes 50 lbs., raw linseed oil 1 
quart, very strong japan drier 1 quart, turpentine 1 quart, 
water 1 quart, brown soap 6 oz., borax 1 oz. Add soap 
and borax to the water and mix together thoroughly; 
then add this to the other liquids, and stir all together. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 19 

A " Best " Hardwood Filler. — This has been de- 
scribed by an expert as being the best possible hardwood 
filler: Finest pulverized silica ioo lbs., powdered soap- 
stone 3 lbs., Vandyke brown 3 lbs., burnt sienna i x / 2 lbs., 
burnt umber 2 J / 2 lbs., raw linseed oil 2 l / 2 gals., grinding 
japan i l / 2 gals., thin strong driers 2 gals. It will be 
noted that the formula calls for coloring matter, and 
these colors would indicate a filler for oak. 

Light Paste Filler. — This filler is composed of 25 lbs. 
of the best floated silica, and China clay 8 lbs., mixed to 
paste form with 4^ gals, pure raw linseed oil and 3 
pints of the best liquid driers. It is perhaps one of the 
better grades of commercial filler. In making our filler 
we would, of course, omit the China clay. 

Car Painter's Filler. — Dry white lead 100 lbs., best 
whiting 100 lbs., Keystone filler 100 lbs., fine silica 50 lbs., 
dry lampblack 5 lbs., coach oil 7 gals., raw linseed oil 
y 2 pint, turpentine 2 gals., Kauri mixing varnish 2 
gals. 

Cornstarch Fillers. — Cornstarch was used as the basis 
of wood filler before silica was thought of. Its main 
disadvantage is its liability to be influenced by moisture 
and to swell; it being a vegetable matter, it is liable to 
decay, hence, in every way it is poorly adapted for the 
purpose of filling woods. Yet there are some workmen 
who prefer it. An expert finisher sends us the following 
formula for what he considers to be the best. Take a 
pound of cornstarch and r / 2 pound of flour pumicestone, 
and mix to paste consistency with l / 2 pint boiled linseed 
oil and % pint shellac varnish. Add any coloring de- 
sired. 

Some finishers like a filler made from equal parts of 
boiled oil and japan thickened to a paste with cornstarch, 
and reduced with turpentine to a working consistency. 
Some use equal parts of boiled oil, japan and turpentine. 
A good way is to pour the mixed liquids over the starch, 



20 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

and let it stand over night, or a half-day, covering the 
mass well to prevent evaporation of the turpentine. In 
this way the liquids permeate the mass perfectly, so that 
it is then very easy to stir it up to a paste form. If this 
filler dries too rapidly add a few drops of raw oil. If it 
is too thick, add a little turpentine or benzine, the latter 
often preferable because it enables you to easily spread 
the filler, and when the benzine goes the filler is as heavy 
as originally, or before the benzine was added. 

A starch filler, in which cooked starch is used, is here 
given. Mix together one quart each of raw and boiled 
oil, gold size japan, and turpentine. Boil some corn- 
starch and while boiling add to it a little magnesia; say 
two ounces to the pound of cornstarch. Let the starch 
boil well for at least fifteen minutes. Any coloring may 
be used, and silica may replace the cornstarch if desired. 

FILLERS FOR UNUSUAL JOBS. 

Marble Dust or Plaster Filler. — Take marble dust or 
plaster of Paris and make into a paste with equal parts 
of turpentine and japan, the addition of a very little raw 
oil making the mass work easier. As too much japan 
will not do, it is better to add only a part of the liquid 
named at first, trying the mass to see how it sets, and 
adding more japan as may be required to cause setting 
in proper time. Some add a little dry litharge, saying it 
improves the filler. Stain may be added if required. 
Use dry pigment. When the filler is dry and hard in the 
wood it may be rubbed down. 

Wax Hardwood Filler. — Take equal parts of raw 
oil, gold size japan and turpentine, and mix with bees- 
wax at the rate of four ounces of wax to the quart of 
turpentine, the wax being first dissolved in the turpen- 
tine. Now stir into the wax enough fine silica powder 
to form a paste, rather stiff, which should then be run 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 21 

through a hand paint mill or fine sieve; thin up for use 
with turpentine. 

Filler for Very Open Wood. — Such wood as chest- 
nut will require a stiff paste filler, though this wood, as 
well as similar open-pore woods, can very well be filled 
with the ordinary paste filler. Mix some cornstarch with 
shellac varnish on a marble slab or wooden table, mak- 
ing the mass quite smooth. Apply to the wood rapidly, 
as it sets soon, and after it has become hard-dry it may 
be sandpapered. The filler must be well worked into the 
wood, in order to fill the larger spaces. Wheat flour will 
do in place of cornstarch. The finish over this filler may 
be made as fine as French polishing, as it fills perfectly and 
makes a solid surface. 

Glue Paste Filler. — Set a pound of good glue in seven 
pounds (nearly a gallon) of cold water. After the glue 
has swollen up fully, which will require about one-half 
day, or over night, set it in another vessel containing hot 
water and set on stove and boil until all the glue is dis- 
solved. While hot add to the glue from one to two 
pounds of dry powdered litharge, and two pounds of 
plaster of Paris ; mix well together. 

Non-Shrinkable Paste Filler. — Mix a batter of flour 
paste in the usual manner, and boil it. After it has boiled 
enough set it away until cold, and the best condition for 
it to be in when cold is stiff, yet not so stiff that it will 
not run from the board when mixing it. Then mix in an- 
other vessel raw linseed oil and gilder's whiting to the 
same consistency as the flour paste, then mix the two 
masses together; add japan driers enough to make the 
filler dry right. Then for use thin up with benzine. 
You may not be successful at the first attempt, as the 
filler has to dry just right, harden, and act the same as 
ordinary silica paste filler. Proportions given may be 
varied, for different samples of the ingredients will vary. 

Lime and Flour Filler. — Mix a pound of powdered 



22 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

lime and two pounds of rye flour to a stiff paste with 
common varnish. Color may be added if desired, using 
dry pigment. 

A Compound Paste Filler. — Mix together one pound 
of cornstarch, half-pound of pulverized pumicestone, 
very fine grade, one gill of shellac, one-half pint of boiled 
linseed oil, and a gill of brown japan. Color if desired. 

Silica Filler. — Take 25 lbs. floated silica, 4 lbs. China 
clay, 3 quarts raw oil, and same of best japan. Mix and 
run through hand-mill, or mix thoroughly by hand. 

To make a smaller quantity of silica paste filler mix 
4^ lbs. silica to a paste with a mixture of a half-pint 
each of raw oil, pale drying japan, or preferably japan 
gold size, and turpentine. 

Adding Color to Fillers. — It should be stated here, 
for the guidance of the inexpert, that in proportion as 
we add any coloring pigment we weaken its filling quali- 
ties to that extent, some colored fillers containing as much 
as twenty-five per cent, of coloring matter, making it diffi- 
cult if not impossible to properly fill the pores of some 
woods. As a rule, the less coloring matter the better the 
filler, yet it is necessary to add color in some cases. 

In coloring a filler to match a certain wood, add the 
color gradually, trying the same from time to time by 
comparison with the wood. It is advised to have the 
color of the paste filler a little darker than the wood, for 
the wood itself darkens a little with time. While the 
ready-made fillers usually answer, yet for a very dark 
wood you had better make the filler yourself. 

The way to color filler is this: Take the lightest 
color first, if more than one is to be added, and mix with 
some oil, then take the darker color and mix with a little 
turpentine, adding it to the oil mixture and mixing both 
together. Then mix in the rest of the thinners. If corn- 
starch is the base, pour the liquid over it and let it stand 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 23 

until it has permeated the mass, which will make the mix- 
ing easier. Make paste filler stiff, so that it may be 
thinned down when wanted ; the idea being to save on the 
volatile liquids, which would evaporate if allowed to be 
in the filler long before using. 

Some finishers use a broad-bladed knife for scraping 
away surplus filler, pressing the stuff well into the wood 
at the same time, but the more general way is to use 
burlap, etc. 

When the paste filling has become too hard for re- 
moval, but not dry, wet it with turpentine, which will 
soften it sufficiently to render removal easy. Or you 
may wet the rubbing pad with turpentine, when the stuff 
is not too hard-set. 

As a rule, close-pored woods cannot be filled with a 
paste filler, yet when a colored paste filler is applied to a 
burl or curly wood, like North Carolina pine, for in- 
stance, the effect is a very pleasing one. 

Table of Colors used in Paste Fillers. — The follow- 
ing list will be found useful for reference when you have 
to color a filler for matching any of the woods listed 
here: 

Light Oak. — Raw sienna or ocher. 

Dark Oak. — Burnt umber, or drop black, or the two 
mixed. 

Golden Oak. — Burnt umber, or asphaltum varnish, or 
both. 

Walnut. — Burnt umber enriched with a little Venetian 
red, or with rose pink. Black walnut is best filled with 
paste colored with Vandyke brown. 

Mahogany. — Burnt Italian sienna, rose pink, and a 
little drop black. 

Redwood. — Burnt sienna and a little rose pink. 

Brazil Wood. — Rose pink. 

Cherry. — Burnt sienna, or Venetian red. 



24 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

FILLERS FOR VARIOUS WOODS. 

Ash. — This is a very open-pored wood, and light of 
color. Mix together two parts of bleached linseed oil, 
three parts of pale japan gold size, and one part of tur- 
pentine, and add fine silica to form a paste. Thin for 
use with turpentine. 

Butternut. — Same filler as for ash or chestnut. 

Beech. — Same filler as for birch or red gum. 

Birch. — Surface with white or bleached shellac, one 
pound of shellac to the gallon of alcohol being right. 

Cherry. — Best whiting 5 lbs., plaster of Paris 2 lbs., 
dry burnt sienna I 1 /* oz., dry Venetian red 1 oz., boiled 
oil 1 quart, turpentine 1 pint, brown japan 1 pint. Silica 
may be used in place of whiting, but the whiting enters 
the wood best, and there is enough plaster to make up the 
coarse material needed. 

Cypress. — This is a close-grained wood, and may be 
filled or surfaced with a heavy coat of shellac, or liquid 
filler, depending upon quality of work required, the shel- 
lac giving the better job, and two light coats are better 
than one heavy coat. 

Chestnut. — A very open or coarse-grained wood, and 
requires stiff paste filler, the filler not requiring to be 
stained, unless in some particular cases, and then merely 
to match the wood as it will naturally be, whether light 
or darker. 

Elm. — A coarse-grained wood, requiring the same fill- 
ing as chestnut. 

Ebony. — Make the filler from dry lampblack and 
plaster of Paris, mixing to a paste with brown japan or 
gold size. 

Maple. — Surface with white shellac. 

Mahogany. — Take equal parts by weight of best whit- 
ing, plaster of Paris, fine pumicestone powder, and lith- 
arge, to which may further be added small amounts of 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 25 

soapstone and also Vandyke brown, burnt sienna and 
ocher. Mix to a paste with i pint of japan, 2 pints of 
boiled oil, and 3 pints of turpentine ; grind in a hand mill. 

Oak. — For uncolored natural finish use silica mixed 
with one part raw oil and two parts turpentine, with 
japan sufficient to dry. Another formula is : Best 
whiting 5 lbs., plaster of Paris 2 lbs., dry burnt sienna Yz 
oz., raw oil 1 quart, turpentine 1 pint, white shellac 1 
pint; mix intimately together. This will be the better of 
the two for oak having just a little color. For Dark 
Oak the filler described for ebony will do, or burnt 
umber may be substituted for the lampblack. Golden 
Oak. To 10 lbs. natural paste filler (that is to say, 
filler that has not been colored) add 4 oz. dry burnt umber 
and y 2 pint best asphaltum varnish ; mix to a paste. 

Rosewood. — Use the paste filler indicated for mahog- 
any. 

Red Gum. — Same treatment as for birch. 

Sycamore. — Same as for maple, only using orange 
shellac instead of white shellac. 

Redwood. — Cornstarch 1 lb., dry burnt sienna ^4 lb-> 
mix with 1 quart turpentine, and add raw oil and brown 
japan of each one tablespoonful. Mix, preferably in a 
hand mill. 

Walnut. — Mix together equal parts of China clay and 
rye flour, coloring to any desired depth with burnt umber, 
and mixing to a paste with a thinner composed of two 
parts each of turpentine and japan gold size and one 
part boiled oil. See also Walnut Finishing. 

White Pine. — Surface with white or bleached shellac. 



SOME NOTES ON FILLERS AND FILLING. 

Pulverized silex should be quite dry before being added 
to the thinners, and to insure this it should be put in an 
oven for a time. 



26 THE EXPERT WOOD .FINISHER 

The filler should be made to fit the particular wood 
you have in hand. It should be neither too thick nor too 
thin. A too-heavy filler causes rough finish. A smooth 
beginning insures a smooth ending. 

Two thin coats are better in all cases than one heavy 
coat. The two coats should be applied 12 hours apart. 

You can coat over the filler in twelve hours, but it is 
better to allow twenty-four hours. 

A shop rule is, from twelve to fourteen pounds of stiff 
paste to the gallon of thinner. 

After filling the wood, wait until the filler turns a luster- 
less white, then proceed to wipe off across the grain of 
the wood. Drying requires about twenty minutes. 

A paste filler should fulfill these conditions : It should 
fill the wood perfectly, should be solid and indestructible, 
that is, not easily influenced by moisture or atmospheric 
conditions, it should unite readily with the wood fibers, 
so that nothing can disturb it as long as the wood remains 
good ; it should be translucent, so as to show up the color 
and grain of the wood, it should be simple, cheap and 
easily applied, and of such a character that it will never 
cause swelling and subsequent shrinkage of the wood. 
Cornstarch does not fulfill these specifications. Whiting, 
China clay and similar substances do not answer the pur- 
pose, being opaque, hence obscure the beauty of the wood. 
Umbers and siennas are not positively bad, but they will 
not do on any light woods, nor do they develop the grain 
of other woods. Too much oil is bad in a paste filler, 
as the oil shrinks in time, and the filler falls away, causing 
a marred surface. Silicate of soda is a chemical com- 
pound, and soon loses its character and disintegrates. 
Silex is undoubtedly the best substance yet found to form 
the base of a paste wood filler, being, when pure, per- 
fectly translucent, and it can be ground to an impalpable 
powder, but will still retain its crystalline formation, an 
important consideration, as has been explained in an- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 27 

other part of this article. Silica also has an affinity for 
oil and japan, which are necessarily a medium for its ap- 
plication. 

Sandpaper and its Using. — Work that has been made 
smooth on the sandpapering machine is all right for 
close-grain woods, especially on large surfaces. But soft 
wood or open grain woods do not work out as well, be- 
cause the soft fibers of wood fill up any open places and 
cause trouble afterwards, after the finishing is done. 
All open pore woods that have been run through the 
sander should be made smooth with No. I sandpaper, rub- 
bing across the grain of the wood. Give the work a thor- 
ough dusting off before filling it. 

Often a sandpaper block is useful. This is a block of 
soft wood of about 2^ by 3^2 inches, to one surface 
of which is glued a piece of rubber packing, or other 
suitable sheet rubber, and when the glue has become dry 
the block is sawn into a series of slits, which are about 
3 / 1Q inches apart, and sawn to within l /% inch of the rub- 
ber. The slits make the block flexible, so that it will fit 
into 'any concaved surface, etc. Another block may be 
made, solid, for sandpapering on even surfaces. 

Partly worn sandpaper may be used for some purposes, 
say for rubbing down the filling, but better than this 
are two pieces of fresh sandpaper rubbed together, which 
will remove most of the grit. Then apply a little raw oil 
to the face of the paper, which will tend to prevent the 
possible scratching of the work. Sometimes a piece of 
coarse canvas is used in place of sandpaper. No. o glass 
paper is preferred for rubbing down filling. Glass paper 
is of a better quality than common sandpaper, and is also 
more lasting. Good sandpaper may be split in two, mak- 
ing a thinner paper for getting into moldings, etc. Poor 
quality sandpaper will not allow of this splitting. 

To cut a sheet of sandpaper fold it evenly with the 
sand inside; never fold it the reverse of this way, for 



28 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

that will crack the paper. To prevent sandpaper from 
slipping under the hand, chalk the back of it. To cause 
it to cut faster, apply benzine or turpentine to the sand 
part. 

The fuzz raised on the wood by the staining is easier 
to remove by sandpapering immediately after the filling 
than at any subsequent time. All liquid-filled wood 
should be sandpapered, in order to make a smooth sur- 
face for the varnish coats. 

Keep your sandpaper in a dry place. If damp, dry it 
before using. Save partly worn pieces for work requir- 
ing fine paper. Sandpaper bare wood only with the 
grain, and in some cases, if not in all, it is best to do this 
with filled wood, as it is easy to cause scratches, which are 
difficult of removal. 



FILLING WOODS WITH LIQUID FILLER. 

What is known as liquid filler is simply a varnish, and 
not really a filler at all. The only difference between it 
and varnish is that it contains some pigment substance, 
and to this extent, perhaps, it may be called a filler. Even 
so, it is more properly a " surfacer," forming a hard 
surface for upholding the subsequent varnish coats. 
True, some of the filling gets into the wood, if any spaces 
admit of it. But its true purpose is to surface those 
woods whose structure will not admit of the entrance of 
a base filler, or one containing silica, etc. The effect of 
this surfacer is to saturate the tissue of the wood, while 
the more solid parts remain on the surface. Sometimes 
liquid filler is applied over a paste-filled surface, in order 
to saturate any woody tissue not already satisfied. This 
prevents the sinking in of the varnish coats, and in that 
way makes a better finish and saves varnish. 

There is a number of liquid fillers on the market, but 
all are essentially a varnish containing more or less filling 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 29 

material, the best being silica. There is no better sur- 
facer, however, than shellac varnish, containing no pig- 
ment or filler material. But shellac is much costlier than 
ordinary varnish liquid filler, hence is not often used for 
surfacing, and then only for certain kinds of woods and 
particular jobs. Shellac dries quickly, sandpapers easily, 
and gives a very fine foundation for the varnish coats. 
Liquid filler does not flow out so well under the brush as 
shellac, but leaves more or less of ridges, this according 
to the quality of the liquid and manner of its application. 
Such a surface is very difficult to rub down smooth and 
level. As a rule, it is not rubbed down, or at most very 
little, as liquid filling or surfacing is mostly done on the 
cheaper grades of work. A heavy coat of this liquid filler 
and a coat or two of common copal varnish without any 
rubbing down is a quite common method of cheap wood 
finish. Not infrequently, too, such woods as oak and 
chestnut are filled or surfaced with liquid filler, but the 
results are far from satisfactory, though cheap. 

Liquid filler should be applied like ordinary copal var- 
nish, in full coats, flowing it on and leveling it out so as to 
produce as level and smooth a surface as possible. 

Silica paste filler may be thinned down with varnish 
for producing a liquid filler, but where color is to be 
added it is better to use as the base something of lighter 
gravity, such as cornstarch, for the silica is so heavy that 
it would sink down and allow the pigment or coloring to 
remain in suspension, so that the mass would not be uni- 
form when being used. That is to say, when the filler 
is applied the silica would fall down into any pores, while 
the coloring would remain on the surface, this producing 
a painty effect. Such substances as cornstarch, terra 
alba, talc, whiting and barytes have the fault of fading out 
or whitening in the wood, which is a very serious defect 
where coloring is employed in the filler. Carbonate of 
magnesia holds up well enough, at least it does not pre- 



30 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

cipitate as silica does, and the same claim may be made 
for some other substances that are used in place of silica 
at times. Cornstarch makes a fairly good filler, many 
finishers prefer it to any silica filler, but it is hard to 
make a filler of dry starch and varnish that will keep 
good for any reasonable time before using it. Raw starch 
shows up in the pores of the wood worse than whiting, 
which is bad enough. To a minor extent even silica 
shows up white, though not to anything like whiting or 
the other named substances. Boiled starch is better, 
being more transparent. 

Starch is soft and easily applied, hence enables the 
finisher to rush his work through faster, and this is the 
best and most we can say for it. It does not hold up the 
varnish coats well. It seems to fill the wood well, when 
applied, and to a certain extent it does the filling per- 
fectly, but as it dries it hardens and shrinks, leaving the 
wood but partially filled. Moreover, this filling takes a 
long time in hardening, so that as a rule the varnish is 
applied too soon, the result being seen in after days in 
the poorly filled finish, the varnish only serving to in- 
tensify the effect. A small microscope will show this 
perfectly, although the eye alone discerns it. 

Silica can be pushed into the pores of the wood, making 
a solid surface, and as it is non-absorptive it does not 
rob the varnish of its liquids. It has two distinct faults 
that should be mentioned here; it settles badly in the 
pot after mixing, and it dries out most too rapidly on the 
work. The first fault is not a serious one where small 
quantities are used, as it may be mixed and used at once, 
but in the furniture finishing room, where it is bought 
by the barrel, the matter is serious. The addition of a 
very little raw linseed oil retards the drying, and some 
finishers use a great deal of oil in the thinning, thinning 
entirely with oil, in some cases. Yet this quick setting 
is evidence of durability, and as a general thing there is 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 31 

no objection to it, as it enables the finisher to expedite his 
work. He likes it to set fit for rubbing off in from 
fifteen to twenty minutes. 

Where fillers are bought by the barrel, the latter should 
be kept tightly covered, to keep out dust, and prevent the 
too rapid evaporation of the volatile liquids. It should 
be treated as carefully in this matter as the barrel of 
varnish. 

LIQUID FILLER FORMULAS. 

Silica Filler. — Mix up four pounds of silica paste 
filler with one gallon of coach varnish, thinning down 
with turpentine to the usual consistency of liquid filler. 
Or, mix together equal parts of raw oil, gold size japan, 
and turpentine ; add silica to form a paste, and thin down 
for use. In making up such fillers see that the solids 
are worked perfectly smooth, and if you have a small 
hand mill to run the mass through better results will fol- 
low. 

China Clay Filler. — Mix together a gallon of pale, 
hard-drying carriage body varnish, and a pint each of 
turpentine and pale japan. Take two and one-half 
lbs. of the China clay and add enough of the mixed 
liquid to form a paste, which then should be run through 
a close-set hand mill and then the rest of the liquid should 
be stirred in. Stir briskly and until perfect mixture en- 
sues. This formula may be used for a paste filler by not 
thinning. 

Transparent Liquid Filler. — Some woods, the white 
or very light ones, require a very light-colored filling, and 
in some cases a transparent filler is best. This latter may 
be obtained by mixing together eight oz. each of corn- 
starch and powdered pumicestone, adding a fourth of a 
gill each white shellac varnish and boiled linseed oil. 
Mix well together and thin for use. 

Imitation Shellac. — A wood finisher tells me that this 



32 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

imitation shellac is not only cheaper than real shellac, 
but that it is better in other ways. He takes equal parts 
of raw oil, turpentine, brown japan and rubbing varnish, 
adding cornstarch to give it body. It is made rather 
heavier or thicker than ordinary paint, but not too heavy 
for easy application. After it has set sufficiently he rubs 
off with coarse cloth, same as paste filler, rubbing it 
into the wood, and giving the work two coats. 

Another formula calls for four pounds of finely pulver- 
ized and floated silica or China clay, the former to be 
preferred, and one quart of japan, beating the mass until 
perfectly mixed. Now add, still stirring the mass, six 
quarts of the best light hard-oil finish, or other good 
varnish of equal quality, after which allow the mixture to 
stand an hour or so, then run through a fine sieve. Thin 
up for use. May be used as paste filler by adding less 
liquid. 

Oil-Thinned Filler. — I have spoken of oil being used 
in a filler. Many of the best yachts are said to have all 
exposed woodwork coated with oil-thinned filler, after 
which the varnish is applied; an elastic spar varnish is 
generally employed. Several coats of varnish are given, 
each coat having ample time for drying, and each being 
sandpapered smooth. The process requires much time 
and labor, and in consequence is expensive, but the in- 
creased wear of the finish justifies it. Some steamships 
have all exposed woodwork treated this way. 

SURFACING OR PRIMING WOODS. 

I have treated this subject to some extent under the 
head of liquid filling, but it seems desirable to have one 
place set apart for the special consideration of surfacers 
and primers. Surfacing is also known as priming, and 
the terms are used in factory finishing rooms. 

As previously stated, shellac varnish makes the best 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 33 

surfacer, but any good grade varnish will do, though it 
must be thinned well. Usually, a surfacer is intended to 
follow the filling, to hold out the varnish coats, but sur- 
facing is sometimes done as a filling. The surfacer 
should never contain any rosin, for the rosin will cause 
trouble under any varnish placed over it. Some finishers 
do not like to place shellac under varnish, saying that 
varnish will not stick over it, but this is probably true only 
in some cases. If the shellac is well rubbed down it will 
hold any ordinary varnish. 

By adding one pound of pulverized silica to the gallon 
of varnish you will have as good a surfacer as can be 
made. Thin down to about the consistency of shellac. 
This surfacer flows out well, spreads well, and sand- 
papers easily. Let it stand forty-eight hours before 
sandpapering. Over it apply one or two coats of good 
varnish ; and, by using the proper varnish, pews and seats 
may be made to stand well, where so much trouble is had 
with sticky varnish. The silica causes the varnish to 
dry dead-flat, giving a rock-like surface. Another cheap 
surfacer may be made as follows : Take one gallon of 
pure Damar varnish and add to it a gallon of turpentine. 
This surfacer was once used on some church work, where 
liquid fillers used stained more or less, while the Damar 
surfacer remained perfectly colorless and did not require 
any sandpapering. Two coats of varnish on this Damar 
surfacer gave a good finish. Water is a bad element in 
a surfacer, raising the grain of the wood, and some liquid 
fillers and surfacers contain some water, enough to raise 
the grain. 

Previous to the 'Seventies liquid and paste fillers were 
not common, if known at all. I have filled walnut work 
in those early days by varnishing the wood and rubbing 
the varnish into the pores of the wood by means of a soft 
wooden paddle, like a chisel in shape, and this process 
was repeated several times, or until the wood became filled 



34 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

with the varnish gum, and bore out the finishing coat of 
varnish. Such a process involved time, labor, and the 
use of expensive varnish coats. 

HOW TO FILL AND FINISH THE WOODS. 

Ash. — Being a very open-pored wood it must be filled 
with rather stiff paste filler, and as it is a light colored 
wood too, the plain, uncolored filler may be used. The 
finishing is the same as that followed for oak, which see. 

Butternut. — Same filler and finishing as for ash. 

Beech. — It may be finished natural or be stained wal- 
nut, cherry, or mahogany. There is a curly variety, and 
the quarter-sawed is also handsome. When finished in 
its natural color it should have a full gloss. If stained, let 
the stain be water color, though many prefer a spirit or 
chemical stain in oil. It is a close-grained wood, and 
does not take stain easily, on account of its delicate mark- 
ings being easy to obscure. Hence a transparent stain is 
best. If pigment stain is used it should be wiped off 
carefully as soon as applied. 

Birch. — When it is desired to imitate other woods the 
red birch is best adapted for the purpose, particularly the 
curly variety. It may be made to imitate mahogany, 
golden oak, green oak, and a rich chocolate brown. The 
natural finish of either red or white birch is very fine, and 
they should have a finish coat of varnish with its luster 
removed by rubbing. Some finishers say the wood is 
spoiled by staining. It is a close-grained wood, hence 
requires a surfacing with shellac, bleached for the natural, 
and orange for the colored wood. One formula calls for 
a pound of shellac to the gallon of alcohol, but some use 
as much as five pounds to the gallon. Your judgment 
must be used. While paste filler is not required by a 
close grained wood, yet with birch some think a paste 
filling best, for it will minimize the effect of water stain 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 35 

on the grain of the wood. After twenty-four hours 
sandpaper well, then give it a coat of primer, tinted to 
required shade with a lake color. In twenty-four hours 
sandpaper again and flow on a full coat of the best pale 
cabinet polishing varnish. Finish by polishing, as de- 
scribed in another part of this work. 

Usually, there are three finishes, golden, golden red, 
and dark red. For the golden finish use raw and burnt 
sienna, and a touch of lemon chrome yellow. Mix these 
pigments with the first-coater or surfacer, follow with a 
second coat of primer or thin varnish, and finish with a 
coat of polishing varnish, which polish as desired. Per- 
haps a finer effect can be made by using red and yellow 
lakes ; these will show a color-tone the same as the other 
pigments, with the difference that the coloring will be 
transparent, leaving none of the little flakes of color seen 
after using the other method. The light red may be made 
from burnt sienna, and the dark red from burnt sienna 
and Vandyke brown. These are also sometimes applied 
as a stain, being made quite thin with turpentine. In 
some cases the pigments are combined with the first- 
coater. The latter way is perhaps the best; but as in 
the former case, it is best to use transparent pigments. 

To stain dark birch mahogany color, first apply a weak 
solution of bichromate of potash ; let it dry, then apply 
the stain made as follows : rose pink, Vandyke brown, and 
burnt sienna, in such proportions as will give you the 
desired color. Apply the stain, and when it is dry sand- 
paper lightly with fine paper; then shellac it, adding a 
little Bismarck brown to the shellac, enough to tinge it, 
which will impart a more uniform coloring to the surface. 

Birch may be made to imitate cherry or walnut. The 
last coat of varnish may be rubbed with ooroo pumice- 
stone flour, using oil, not water. 

A birch door stained mahogany makes a very beautiful 
effect in connection with white woodwork. Some prefer 



36 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

this to real mahogany, particularly when the curly birch 
is used. 

Oil stain is liable to obscure the grain of the wood, and 
the rose lake will fade out. Water stain is upon the 
whole much better than oil stain, as it takes the stain 
deeper into the wood, and does not rub through as oil 
stain will at times. Some prefer an oil stain, however, 
using burnt sienna, burnt umber and rose lake, in suitable 
proportions. 

After staining the work, rub lightly with fine paper, and 
give it two coats of shellac, which rub down nicely. Then 
apply two coats of varnish, and finally rub with flour 
pumicestone and oil, to a dull polish. The first coat of 
varnish may be rubbed out with a wad of curled hair, 
which is better than sandpaper, as it will not cut the var- 
nish around corners, etc. 

The foregoing is especially adapted for finishing birch 
doors, and it is always necessary to shellac before varnish- 
ing in order that the varnish may be borne up, otherwise 
it would sink into the wood, which is more or less open 
through the action of the stain. 

Birch is called a treacherous wood, because of a chem- 
ical action which takes place between the wood and most 
of the stains, this action showing up sometimes in less 
than a year, when it will exhibit a dirty brown. 

Cherry. — It is necessary to make cherry perfectly 
smooth and free from dust, if we hope to get a first-class 
finish with it, as every speck shows up in the finish. It is 
very seldom finished in the natural, although such a finish 
would be handsome enough, but stain makes it even more 
attractive. The stain is made from burnt sienna, but 
aniline dye, particularly Bismarck brown, gives it a good 
color, but not so durable as the earth pigment. Some 
vegetable stains, like alkanet root or dragon's blood, 
make a very good color. 

In the using of water stain on cherry there is the danger 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 37 

of laps showing, spoiling the work. When this happens 
you can remedy the evil by wetting the edges of the laps 
with clear water, also the adjoining parts, and then apply 
the stain. Apply stain freely, but be careful that no air- 
bubbles form. Cherry takes mahogany stain very well, 
being one of the best woods for the purpose of imitating 
that fine wood. In the filling, while some use a paste filler 
at first filling, such as has been described in a previous 
place, yet the most of finishers apply only a surfacer, 
usually shellac. In this way it may be finished just the 
same as maple. 

Cypress. — This is perhaps the most difficult of the 
woods to finish. It is difficult to dry cypress perfectly, 
but once it is dry you may find it as little trouble as 
almost any of the woods, the trouble coming when it is 
not dry. In this undry condition the application of water 
stain causes the grain of the wood to rise up. In general 
the treatment of the wood is the same as that for cherry 
or birch. First coat it with shellac, then when dry sand- 
paper it, and follow with two or three more coats of 
shellac, and sandpapering. Never apply a drop of oil to 
the bare wood. The wood contains some sort of oily 
gum, and in some instances as many as three coats of 
shellac have failed to hold back this oily gum. An appli- 
cation of benzol would no doubt do good. Some advise 
mixing a stain with strong vinegar, following with a thin 
coat of shellac, then a coat of copal varnish. If water 
stain is used it is best to first apply a size of gelatin glue, 
or a coat of thin shellac. As water stain will raise the 
grain of the wood it might be better to employ a turpen- 
tine stain. 

Cypress is sometimes used for making imitation oak, 
of the Mission color and finish, but the wood must be 
straight of grain. The stain is made from japan drop 
black with a touch of rose pink; mix with some inside 
varnish to form a paste, rather thick, then thin out with 



38 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

turpentine to form the stain; strain it through cheese- 
cloth. The shade of color may be made lighter or darker 
by either thinning it more or adding more black. A 
greenish effect may be had by omitting the rose pink and 
substituting dark chrome green for the black. Imitation 
antique oak may be made by using a stain composed of 
two parts of Vandyke brown and one part of raw umber, 
with a little drop black also, all these colors being ground 
in japan. Mix to a paste with varnish and thin out with 
turpentine. The finishing in either case may be done in 
varnish, which may be rubbed down, or flatting varnish 
may be used, as also wax finish. 

Chestnut. — This coarse wood is filled and finished 
about the same as the oaks. It requires a rather stiffer 
paste filler than oak, but may be finished otherwise the 
same. 

Elm. — This wood has a large pore, although not as 
deep as that of oak or ash, and it is easier to fill than those 
woods. But it presents one problem in its so-called 
whiskers or fuzz, which catches the filler and causes an 
uneven, muddly effect. The following method for finish- 
ing is here offered as one sure to give satisfaction to the 
finisher. Instead of filling with paste filler use the fol- 
lowing materials and methods. First prepare a liquid 
surfacer by breaking up some silica filler of medium 
antique oak shade, in turpentine, not benzine, which would 
evaporate too quickly, and also cause brush marks. Mix 
together as much of this filler as of liquid filler, then add 
half as much turpentine as you have of the two mixed 
surfacers or fillers. Stir the mass well. You may now 
make any desired change in the color by adding burnt 
umber or burnt sienna, or both. Apply this liquid with a 
flat, chiseled, soft-bristle brush, of about 2^2 inches 
width. Apply the filler carefully, spread it uniformly 
and evenly, and wipe out the edges. Lay it off as in a 
staining job, and when done leave it to become flat. This 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 39 

will follow in about 15 minutes, and then will have a 
velvet appearance and feel. After standing twelve hours 
the work may be rubbed off lightly with No. o sand- 
paper, making the surface quite smooth; then apply the 
primer. After this has stood for twelve hours it may be 
rubbed down smooth, after which you may apply a coat 
of rubbing varnish or a gloss coat, as desired. 

A good deal of elm is full of sap spots, which will 
show up lighter than the rest of the work ; these spots 
must be stained. After the work has been filled and sand- 
papered take a piece of soft cotton cloth and a cup of 
water stain, using either burnt umber or Vandyke brown, 
and apply it to the sappy places. This will give the entire 
job a uniform color effect. 

Ebony. — Very little of this wood is handled by the 
wood finisher. It requires a liquid filler as described in 
another place, and which see. 

Maple. — This is a very light colored wood, varying 
from gray to near white. The only first-coater for it is 
white shellac, the number of coats depending upon the 
quality of the work, as many as four, with a finishing 
coat of pale copal. The less copal varnish applied the 
better the result, as the varnish gives it a color that is 
not desired, when the natural finish is in view. Maple 
should always be finished with a full gloss coat of varnish, 
as it looks dead when rubbed down. The wood cannot 
be made too smooth by the woodworker, and it should be 
perfectly clean and free of all marks. Staining is very 
rarely done to maple, but a very fine greenish tint is some- 
times given by the use of copperas water. Give the 
varnish coats plenty of time for drying, never rush maple 
finishing, if you desire the best work. As the quick var- 
nishes are the dark ones, use the slower ones. Damar 
varnish or varnish containing any Damar will not do, 
although it is very pale, for it is impossible to rub or 
polish it. One coat of the best white copal varnish wil 1 



40 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

do for the finish. Allow four days between coats, and 
if desired you may allow the second coat to stand five 
days, then rub with flour pumice and water, using a piece 
of felt for a rubber, if a dead finish is desired, or to 
prepare the surface for the finishing coat of full luster 
varnish. If the dead effect is desired in its best estate, 
then rub down with rottenstone powder and water, using 
a soft felt rubber. 

Mahogany. — A wood of coarse grain, hence requiring 
paste filling. This filling must be done with care, if you 
would have the beauty of the wood brought out. Fill the 
wood level full, making a solid foundation, one impervious 
to any subsequent coating, then shellac it, following this 
with a rubbing down smooth with fine paper, then give it 
another coat of shellac, rubbing it down also, following 
with two or three coats of varnish. 

Mahogany is a rather spongy wood, which causes its 
grain to rise in a fuzz, and in some woods this fuzz is 
seen to run in opposite directions, adding to the difficulty 
of both the woodworking and the finishing. The filler 
gathers about this fuzz, causing cloudiness in the staining. 
The way to treat these spongy parts is to apply to them 
a coat of thin shellac, after the water stain has been ap- 
plied, not before. Then it will be ready for filling. The 
shellac forms a glaze over the spots, preventing the filler 
from lodging in the pores of the wood, provided that the 
cleaning off of the filler has been done properly. Let the 
filling stand for from twenty- four to forty-eight hours, 
then rub it smooth with fine paper. Then it is ready 
for the finishing. 

It is best to apply a very thin coat of shellac to this 
wood, in order to produce an unclouded effect. The filler 
should be made to match the color the stain is to be. 

Usually it is best not to stain mahogany very dark, its 
natural color being rather light, much like that of Spanish 
cedar or cigar box wood, but a little stain always improves 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 41 

its color, making it more uniform. Dark stain is useful 
in case the wood is inferior of quality. 

Old mahogany may be imitated with a solution of 
bichromate of potash in water, or by fuming it. Weak 
lime water antiques it, making it rather red. The antique 
effect may also be accomplished by means of a mixture of 
two parts of turpentine and one part raw oil, well rubbed 
into the wood, afterwards wiping it off dry. When dry, 
apply a coat of bichromate of potash in water, which 
when dry may be followed by filling the wood with ma- 
hogany paste filler, with shellac and varnish for the finish. 

A French method for mahoganizing other woods is as 
follows : Make the surface of the wood perfectly smooth, 
give it a coat of diluted nitric acid, which rub well into 
the wood. Next stain with a mixture of ij^ oz. dragon's 
blood dissolved in a pint of alcohol, filtering the solution, 
and adding to it one-third its weight of carbonate of soda. 
Apply this mixture with a brush, repeating the same at 
intervals until the surface has the appearance of polished 
mahogany. In case the luster should fail, it may be 
restored by rubbing with a little cold raw linseed oil. 

Fine mahogany is a study in itself. The markings are 
so delicate and its shades so rich and varied, that special 
care is required in order to develop all its beauty. If an 
old mahogany shade is desired use an aqueous solution of 
bichromate of potash. If a richer color is desired, use 
a water stain soluble also in spirits, which may be applied 
to new wood, although some finishers stain after the 
filling. Sandpaper smooth and apply a coat of shellac. 
This will bleed the stain again, which in turn will cover 
the marks of the sandpaper and prevent the oil of the 
varnish from entering the wood; oil darkens and spoils 
mahogany. Piano finishers get the very finest effects in 
handling mahogany, and they never allow oil to get on to 
the bare wood. Some who are not so afraid of its effect 
add to the oil about forty per cent, of turpentine, and a 



42 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

little good japan drier, which carries the oil down into the 
wood, so that its effect is very little on the color of the 
wood. However, it is advised to omit the use of oil on 
this wood, and even shellac may be left out, for it too is 
objectionable in this respect. Use water stain, and finish 
with three or four coats of varnish. See Piano Finishing 
elsewhere. 

Oak. — It needs scarcely be said, or repeated here, that 
all woods require to be made smooth and in the best of 
condition for finishing. This is of course no less true 
of oak, a more or less coarse and open grained wood, 
requiring paste filling. A good filler may be prepared as 
follows : Take from twelve to fourteen pounds of paste 
filler and stir it into a gallon of turpentine; fill with this, 
and then let the job stand until set, when it may be rubbed 
off with tow or burlap; when the rubber has become full 
of the filler it is the best possible condition for rubbing. 
In from twenty- four to forty-eight hours sandpaper with 
fine or worn paper, and make and keep your work clean 
and smooth. Make a solid foundation with the filler, and 
on this place your coats of varnish, according to the 
quality of work required. 

Some experts get what they term a polish finish with 
only three coats of varnish, but to do this you must have 
a very clean varnishing room, and that is hard to get. 
But if you can get a last coat of varnish free from dust 
or dirt a fairly good, well polished surface may be ob- 
tained without rubbing. 

A finisher says : " I claim that all golden oaks should 
first be stained, and that this stain should be allowed to 
stand from three to twelve hours. I prefer the latter. 
The stain should not be wiped off but be permitted to 
become dry. Used thin as it should be the stain will run 
into the pores of the wood at the end, and the pores will 
absorb the stain and leave none lying dead at the bottom 
of the pore ; the filler should then be applied. This filler 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 43 

may be thinned, say ten pounds of filler to the gallon of 
benzine ; its only purpose should be to fill the pores of 
the wood ; it should have only a high-grade drop black as 
coloring ; it should be spread right over the stain and be 
allowed to remain until ripe enough to clean off. The 
wiping off of the filler will remove the surplus stain, bring 
out the flakes on quarter-sawed oak as clean as though 
shellaced ; and on rough, straight-grained wood it will not 
show cloudy, smeary effects, as may too often be seen 
on this class of work." 

Oak has been finished in more ways than any other 
wood. A few of these finishes are as follows : Natural, 
light antique, dark antique, golden oak in various shades, 
forest green, Flemish oak, fumed oak, Antwerp oak, green 
weathered oak, cathedral oak, weathered oak, and brown 
oak. Of colors that have been applied as finishes to oaks 
their name is indeed legion, and it will be useless to 
describe them all here. As a rule, it is simply a matter 
of applying some stain, more or less striking of color, 
and giving the effect a name. There is, for instance, ox 
blood finish, a crimson effect, and so on through the long 
list. It may be said that all such finishes are hardly of 
any practical use, or that they have won any great favor 
with people. The principal oak finishes have been the 
golden, weathered, Flemish, Mission, etc. One of the 
most important of the finishes is that of fumed oak, and 
this will have a full description here. 

The successful fuming of a wood depends upon its 
tannin content, as without tannic acid no wood can be 
fumed. White oak is the best adapted for fuming, and 
is used when it is possible to get the wood, which is now 
scarce. The light color of this oak makes fuming most 
effective, this in addition to the fact that it is rich in 
tannic acid. Chestnut also is rich in tannic acid, but 
owing to its color and coarse texture it is not desirable for 
the purpose. 



44 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

The advantages of fuming are these : Fuming, unlike 
staining, does not raise the grain of the wood, and it does 
not show the mottled effect that staining does under wax 
finish, wax finish being the best for this effect, making a 
uniform and even color. 

Fuming may be done either in a box or room, accord- 
ing to the size of the object. The enclosure must be air- 
tight, but a glass-covered opening must be had in either 
case, so that the operation of the process may be noted, 
from time to time, according to depth of color desired. 
Time required depends upon size of box or room, strength 
of ammonia, and depth of color wanted. The period is 
approximately between twenty-four and thirty-six hours. 
To observe the process it is a good plan to have a strip 
of the same wood that is being fumed inside the box or 
room, so arranged that it can be withdrawn at any time 
for examination. This is even better than having a win- 
dow to look through. As the light wood will look light 
even after the fuming, as compared with what it will show 
when finished, it is well to wet the strip, which will give 
a good idea of its color when finished. This wet color 
will certainly be the lightest the finish can possibly be. 

Before placing the object in the fuming place be sure 
there are no bits of glue or specks on it, which would 
prevent the fumes from attacking such places ; place 
every object so that every part desired to be fumed may 
be fully exposed; see that no part laps or touches any 
other part. 

Fuming is done with strong ammonia, that sold as 
twenty-six deg. being the kind to use, for the stronger 
the ammonia the more powerful will the fumes be, hence 
the quicker and better will it do its work. For a room 
of 2,000 cubic feet of space a gallon of strong ammonia, 
placed around in shallow dishes, will do the work. Use 
in this proportion for smaller spaces. The cost of fuming 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 45 

this way will run anywhere from twenty-five cents to 
seventy-five cents, according to the size of room. 

Ordinary fuming may be done in about twelve hours, 
but a much longer time will be required for such dark 
finishes as the Flemish. There is a patented process that 
does the fuming in six hours, anhydrous or ammonia gas 
being applied direct into the fuming kiln. Where much 
fumed work is to be turned out it is economical to use 
the ammonia gas, instead of the liquid. This gas comes 
in cylinders of 50 and 100 lbs. each. The price may be 
about thirty cents a pound, and the cylinders are charged 
for extra, $20 each, this being refunded upon return of the 
cylinders. The gas is used by ice makers and refriger- 
ating plants in general. The gas, by the way, is really 
in liquid form in the cylinders, being compressed. There 
is also a kiln made especially for the use of furniture 
makers, for fuming purposes and the use of the ammonia 
gas. 

After the fuming process is complete open up the room 
or box and remove the article fumed. Opening the door 
or windows of a room will soon allow the fumes to escape. 

The following description of the fuming process comes 
from an expert finisher, and contains a few ideas not 
embodied in the foregoing account : 

" The first and most essential thing to do to insure a 
successful job of fuming is to have the wood properly 
dressed and cleaned, and it is also necessary that it be 
sorted, so that each batch will be as near as possible even 
in grade and color. That having been done, it is then 
ready for the fuming box. 

" The fuming box is made of wood, ten by thirty feet 
and ten feet high. It has an outer and inner wall with 
paper between, with a window having a double sash. 
This window is on hinges ; the inner sash is made to open 
inward and the outer sash outward, and when both are 



46 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

shut the box is air-tight. A door is then placed at the 
end, and is made similar to a refrigerator door. A rack 
is constructed on the inside in such a way that it will hold 
the wood to be fumed in a position that the fumes can 
reach all parts. 

" An iron drum, which holds about ten gallons of the 
highest grade of ammonia, is attached to the outside of 
the fuming box at about the center. A pipe two inches in 
diameter runs from the top of this drum into the fuming 
box. The fumes from the ammonia enter the box 
through this pipe and are regulated by a valve. 

" For a light shade of fuming it is allowed eighteen 
hours' exposure to the fumes, which when taken out, if 
satisfactory, the wood receives a light coat of wax finish. 

" For a dark fume two to four hours' additional fuming 
is allowed, but when taken out, if it proves to be too light 
in shade, it is treated to a coat of boiled oil and turpen- 
tine, seventy-five per cent, oil and twenty-five per cent, 
turps, and rubbed with a cloth until dry, which has the 
effect of darkening it to the desired shade and of a suc- 
cessful finish." 

Imitation Fuming. — An easy and quick method for 
getting the fumed effect without fuming is by the appli- 
cation of liquid ammonia direct to the wood. Use full 
strength ammonia, or diluted, according to depth of color 
wanted. The ammonia, however, will raise the grain of 
the wood, in which respect the process is inferior to 
fuming. 

When using the ammonia for treating wood in the open, 
do it where there is plenty of free air, the open air being 
best, with back to the wind or air. Cover the surface 
quickly and evenly, not allowing one part to dry before 
treating the adjoining part, for that would result in laps 
showing. In doing such objects as a chair, for instance, 
it is difficult to keep the liquid from running over on to 
another part, a trouble also with water stain. It is best 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 47 

not to use ammonia too strong as a general thing, but to 
dilute it more or less. 

Imitation fumed oak may also be done with water stain 
thus : Boil one oz. catechu (gambier) in a quart of water, 
strain it, and apply hot to surface of wood. When 
dry brush over with a solution of one oz. bichromate of 
potash solution in one and one-half oz. water. A sec- 
ond coat of the bichromate solution if the color is not 
deep enough. 

Another imitation is made by a solution of iron filings 
in sulphuric acid or strong vinegar, diluted to desired 
strength with water, and applying as many coats as may 
be required. This stain will impart a silvery appearance 
to any wood containing tannin. 

Ivory drop black in japan, thinned down with turpen- 
tine, will give a fumed effect; just before the stain sets 
wipe it off with a cloth. This will not raise the grain. 

Another way is to take burnt umber ground in oil and 
darken a little with lampblack in oil, reducing the mass 
to a dull brown with zinc white in oil. Thin it out with a 
mixture of equal parts of brown japan and turpentine, 
making a thin stain, which apply freely to the wood. 
When it has set wipe off surplus and fill with natural color 
paste filler. Remove surplus filler and finish with wax. 
This stain also will not raise the grain of the wood. 

A green fumed effect may be obtained by using the 
formula given for the second method, with cutch, etc. 
The green effect is achieved by adding to the above potash 
solution a little soluble Prussian blue, just enough to give 
it a greenish cast. 

An effect similar to the fumed effect, but known as 
antique, is made by spreading fresh lime paste on the 
wood, allowing it to dry, then removing it by a brush. 

All darkening of oak may be said to be imitation 
fuming, and as already seen, there are many ways for 
doing this. Potash solution of various degrees of 



48 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

strength may be used, giving color ranging from a light 
brown to nearly black. In full strength it gives a very 
dark red color, a deeper tone than that made by am- 
monia. 

To make cherry or birch a reddish shade apply ammonia 
solution first, and follow with a potash solution. 

To imitate oak on ash, elm, alder, box, chestnut, maple, 
yew or sycamore, apply a solution of iron or copper 
nitrate ; the acetate of iron is simply iron filings that have 
been dissolved in strong vinegar or acid. Old nails will 
do in place of filings. The two solutions may also be 
mixed and used. The color tones are varied by applying 
either one of the two, or the two together, and by diluting 
the same more or less. In any case, such solutions must 
be used cold. Weak solutions of iron acetate give green 
shades, and stronger ones various hues of brown, dark- 
ening as the concentration of the iron salt increases. 

As coloring of oak by other means than fuming and its 
imitation depends upon staining, the reader is referred 
to that section of this work for further advice on subject. 

Rosewood. — The finishing process is that employed on 
mahogany, which see. Rosewood has a coarse grain, and 
needs paste filling, colored to match the wood, and two 
coats of filler give a better surface than one coat. As the 
wood is stained, the filler must also be stained. The filler 
may be made as follows : To 10 lbs. paste filler add 8 oz. 
burnt sienna, 2 oz. rose pink or rose lake, not so much of 
the latter, as it is a stronger color and gives a richer and 
deeper tone than the other ; add also y 2 oz. drop black, all 
colors in oil. The stain over this may be aniline blue over 
a crimson, orange, or yellow stain. Any mahogany stain 
will do on rosewood, but it requires several coats to get 
the required depth of color. On such a deep color mark- 
ings may be made in black with a soft hair pencil, while 
the imitation feather work may be done with a small 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 49 

sponge, a feather, a small bristle pencil, and a coarse 
rubber graining comb. 

There are several rosewood stain formulas, as may be 
seen under the head of staining. Rosewood has an oily 
gum which exudes even after the finishing has been done, 
causing the work to become full of minute pit marks, and 
it is therefore essential that the woodwork be carefully 
prepared before finishing. It is a difficult wood to work, 
much more so even than mahogany, being coarser of 
grain ; there is little used now. 

Redwood. — Brush the paste filler well into the wood, 
and in about fifteen minutes rub off in the usual way. 
After standing twenty-four hours it may be made smooth 
with fine sandpaper, dusted off, and given a coat of thin 
shellac, rubbing this with fine paper, then applying a sec- 
ond coat of shellac, after which it is ready for several 
coats of the best polishing varnish, from two to five coats, 
according to quality of work required ; this for a first-class 
job. Rub the last coat with flour pumicestone and water 
after the work has stood to dry, two days at least. Then 
in twenty-four hours it may be rubbed with pulverized 
rottenstone and water, let this dry, clean off with water 
and chamois. Finally, rub with sweet oil, and then clean 
up with a rag dampened with alcohol, which is called 
spiriting-off, a work that must be done very carefully, lest 
the alcohol attack the varnish. 

A cheaper finish may be used by simply shellacing the 
wood and applying one or two coats of varnish, rubbing 
the last coat enough to remove the gloss, which may be 
done with hair or any other suitable substance. 

Red Gum. — See treatment for Birch. 

Sycamore. — Even the plain parts of this fine wood 
make a good finish, but the quarter-sawed parts are better, 
but should never be stained, this holding good also with 
the plain wood. Finish sycamore in the natural. The 



50 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

finish is the same as that for maple, only a dark shellac 
may be used, or white if preferred, the orange shellac 
imparting a very nice color. Make the shellac very thin, 
as for all hard woods. 

Walnut. — Some walnut has a varied coloring in which 
case stain must be used to make it all even. Burnt umber 
oil stain is commonly used, but as oil will make the wood 
very dark in time it is not always the best to use. Cer- 
tainly oiled and rubbed black walnut is something quite 
handsome. But it may also be nicely finished with shel- 
lac, which will not alter the color of the wood. Over the 
shellac, varnish may be applied, and French polishing, 
fully described further on, is the best of all the finishes. 

To get a dead effect, fill the wood, then apply three or 
four coats of shellac, rubbing the last coat with fine pumice 
powder and raw oil, rubbing with a woolen or hair rub- 
ber. Clean up with clean soft cotton rag. 

There are several sorts of filling for walnut, some of 
which seem to have been patented. That which discolors 
the wood the least and produces the finest finish, and is 
at the same time the simplest compound of any, is nothing 
more than fine rye flour mixed with boiled oil, japan and 
turpentine, the mass being ground in a hand mill, after 
being slightly colored with burnt umber. 

White Pine. — Oil applied direct to white pine will 
cause a more or less clouded effect. For exterior natural 
finish someone has advised priming with a mixture of two 
parts raw linseed oil to one part turpentine. This is said 
to give a more lasting job than where shellac is applied 
as the priming coat. However as it is very seldom that 
white pine is finished natural for exterior use, we need 
not consider that matter further. Shellac is the logical 
primer or surfacer for white pine and all white woods. 
White pine particularly, because the shellac " kills " or 
prevents the sap and knots from showing through where 
light staining is done. Two coats may be necessary, both 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 51 

coats rubbed down with fine paper, followed with two or 
three coats of pale finishing varnish. When the wood is a 
little uneven of color, as much of the present-day pine is, 
add a trifle of color to the first coat of shellac, enough to 
produce a uniform coloring of the surface. Have surface 
of wood smooth and clean, remove any finger or pencil 
marks, etc., apply a coat of white or bleached shellac, rub 
off with No. o sandpaper, dust off, and finish with two 
coats of pale copal varnish. 

It is better to make the wood smooth with the plane, 
the woodworker's work, than to sandpaper it smooth, 
for no matter how carefully done, the marks of the sand 
will show in minute scratches. 

Knots that are very dark and objectionable may be 
treated with a bleach composed of 17%. oz. chloride of 
lime and 2 oz. of soda crystals, in 10^ pints of water. 
The mass should be stiff, in order to make the bleach most 
effective. After remaining on for a few hours, more or 
less, it may be removed to show how well the bleaching 
has been done, and if not enough, then repeat. If done 
enough, then neutralize the alkali with an acid, and it is 
done. 

There is at times some trouble experienced in stain on 
white pine, as also on yellow, and this is said to be due to 
the fact that these woods contain a certain amount of 
tannin, which injures the light colored stain. It is well 
known that oxalic acid is made, in some European fac- 
tories, from pine sawdust. Both white and yellow pine, 
when dried out, yield ninety-four per cent, of oxalic acid, 
it is said, while oak contains but eighty-three per cent. 

Yellow Pine. — Oil darkens this wood, hence is not to 
be applied direct. Formerly oiling of hard pine was quite 
a common method for treating exterior work, as under 
porches. The result was that mildewing was bad, making 
the work in places nearly black, and it was difficult to 
remedy such evil except by painting it. The best way 



52 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

is to first coat it with white or orange shellac, according 
to kind of pine, some being much darker than others. 
Some apply two or three coats of brown japan, when 
coloring is desired, rubbing the japan into the wood, and 
removing the surplus by rubbing off with cloths. This 
filled the tissue and left the heart growths and grain 
standing out, making a very handsome effect. Sometimes 
two coats of japan are applied over the rubbed-off japan 
and left that way, but this makes a dull, lifeless effect. 
Again, the japan may be applied to the bare wood, one or 
two coats, and not rubbed off. 

Considerable of this wood is finished in house work 
simply by applying one coat of liquid filler and one coat 
of hard oil finish. School furniture makers usually size 
with white glue, followed by a coat of common varnish, 
then another coat of glue size, and a finishing coat of 
hard copal or cheap varnish. Often the furniture gets 
but the coat of glue and a coat of varnish. House paint- 
ers usually give the wood a coat of liquid filler and a 
coat of hard oil finish, or where the work is to be done 
better, more coats will be applied, and they will be 
rubbed some, with sandpaper or maybe with curled hair 
or other suitable material. Steel wool is now used exten- 
sively in place of sandpaper. 

Orange shellac will give some coloring to the wood, 
but as stated, it depends upon the natural color of the 
wood and the kind of finish desired. However, orange 
shellac has better body than the bleached, and on low-cost 
work at least is most used. 

" I don't like to see yellow pine stained a bilious green 
and called weathered oak; I would plead with you to 
finish wood in its natural color. In after years it will 
tone down to its rich, natural hue. I have seen old pitch 
pine that had acquired a tone almost as rich as mahogany. 
The sunlight exerts a chemical effect and darkens the 
wood. Where you go into a room having three or four 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 53 

kinds of wood you find it difficult to make a stain that will 
equalize those woods, because the woods are of so diverse 
characters. But if you will apply a thin coat of shellac 
to the woods you can then apply the stain and it will be 
all the same, using oil stains." — W. E. Hall. 

Finishing Georgia Pine. — In the following we have 
the methods used by some of our most expert house paint- 
ers, in the finishing of Georgia pine. 

" Clean off all dirt and pencil marks, sandpaper smooth 
all rough parts, dust off, and apply a coat of white shellac. 
When dry, sandpaper lightly, apply another coat of white 
shellac, let this dry, then sandpaper or rub down with 
pumicestone and water, according to price being paid, or 
time allowed, and finish with a coat of good interior finish- 
ing varnish of light color. Follow this with rubbing 
down to a surface, and another coat of the interior var- 
nish. Leave it in the gloss, polish, or leave dull finish, 
as desired. I find that any filler containing oil will turn 
the wood dark in time." — W. S. Hopkhis, Cleburne, 
Texas. 

" This wood is easily soiled by dirty hands, also from 
dust and dirt ; it darkens from exposure. Hence I always 
sandpaper it clean after it comes from the woodworker. 
Then I dust it off and apply a coat of white shellac. As 
Georgia pine contains a good deal of rosin which comes 
to the surface on being exposed to heat, and in some cases 
in the absence of heat, the shellac will hold that back, 
harden and hold the soft and porous grain, and retard 
darkening of the wood by age. Although it is what is 
called a close-grained wood, it is the better for having a 
very light coat of light paste filler before the shellac is 
applied. After the shellac has become dry, fill nail-holes, 
etc., with putty made from white lead and common whiting 
putty, colored with dry ocher to match the wood, rub 
lightly with sandpaper, after shellacing, dust off, and ap- 
ply coat of good grade pale finishing varnish, reduced a 



54 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

little with turpentine. Use your judgment about that. 
When the first coat of varnish is dry enough, say after 
forty-eight hours, rub lightly with oo sandpaper or steel 
wool of corresponding fineness, or even with curled hair, 
dust off, and apply another coat of the pale varnish, un- 
thinned. 

" If the work requires a rubbed finish or polish, give it 
three coats of varnish, rubbing off the gloss of the last 
coat with flour pumicestone and oil or water, and then 
polish it. Georgia pine will take a fine finish when 
properly done, and some fine effects may be had from 
staining. Sometimes this wood will show up small streaks 
or spots, and sometimes entire boards will appear as 
though mildewed, spoiling the whole job. This mostly 
occurs when the wood is against a damp wall or water 
pipes, and the only thing to do is to paint the backs of 
the boards with a coat or two of good hard-drying paint. 

" When finishing Georgia pine the wood should be per- 
fectly dry, and the room have a temperature of about 
seventy-two degrees Fahr." — F. E. Hollinger, Detroit, 
Mich. 

" On yellow or Georgia pine I have found that the best 
results come from using a stain made from the necessary 
pigments, a little driers, and thinning with benzine, letting 
this stand for a time, then wipe away all from the surface ; 
for the best clear effect, that will show up the grain best, 
always wipe away clean. If you do not get the desired 
color, then you can glaze over with the color you wish. 
The glaze should be very thin. I do this sometimes when 
desiring a certain color effect on mahogany, or when 
imitating that wood on other woods ; I stain and shellac, 
then glaze over that. The glaze must be carefully applied 
and blended to get a uniform covering, and it must of 
course be transparent. I have also stained first with a 
water color, and when dry, with an oil stain, to get a 
certain desired color effect. The important thing is to 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 55 

get that effect without impairing the natural beauty of the 
wood; if anything, this beauty should be enhanced." — 
Anon. 

" An architect wanted us to make a black walnut finish 
on Georgia pine, and we found that Vandyke brown would 
not do, so we added black to it and made it a very dark 
finish." 

Georgia pine is a very difficult wood to stain without 
hiding the grain. 

" I intend never again to use aniline stains in wood 
finishing." — Anon. 

Whitewood. — All white or very light colored woods 
are more or less darkened by the application of oil, and 
as regards whitewood the best primer to use is Damar 
varnish thinned down by adding one part of turpentine 
to four parts of Damar. This gives a good surface, and 
preserves the color of the wood. But Damar varnish 
must not be used in any subsequent coat, as it is entirely 
too soft ; use instead a very pale copal varnish. Usually 
white shellac is light enough for light colored woods, such 
as holly, maple, whitewood, and white and yellow pine. 
The shellac must be well sandpapered, as in some cases 
varnish does not adhere well to shellac. When shellac is 
employed two coats may be applied the same day, then a 
coat on the next day, and so on, a coat a day, until the 
desired number of coats has been given. Usually four 
coats are given, the last coat being rubbed down with 
flour pumicestone and water, rubbing very lightly. Such 
a method results in a solid and level surface for the finish, 
with great apparent depth. 

Give shellac time for drying, twenty-four hours being 
right; you may think it is dry when it is only set, and if 
you rub it while undry you will have trouble. 

Whitewood may be stained if it is desired, and a stain 
and filler combined may be used, for cheap work, by mix- 
ing together some raw sienna and whiting, with a very 



56 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

little burnt sienna, applying this in stain form, but heavy 
enough to form a thin paste; water color may be used, 
thinning with glue size. Common furniture is done in 
this manner. Cheap furniture varnish may do for the 
finishing. 

Finishing Fireproofed Wood. — Woodwork is some- 
times made fireproof by means of certain chemicals or 
salts, which are forced into the pores of the wood by pres- 
sure. While these salts remain dry no trouble follows, 
but should they be subject to the least dampness then any 
paint or other finish placed over the wood will be in- 
jured. These salts act also upon any wood containing 
tannin, darkening and marring the beauty of the natural 
wood. In some cases only paint can be employed as a 
finish. 

These salts might be neutralized in some way, but it 
does not seem that there is any practical way to do it. 
Probably the best thing to do in the case is to use the best 
hard copal gum varnish. 

The principal chemicals used in fireproofing wood are 
the chlorides of lime, magnesia, zinc, tin, and ammonia; 
ammonium phosphate, sulphate of zinc, alum, borax, 
boracic acid, and aluminum hydrate. 

STAINING AND FINISHING HOUSE TRIM. 

The following was written by a master house painter: 
" For soft woods, such as pine, spruce and basswood, I 
believe that an oil and turpentine stain alone can be used 
with success, especially if the stain be applied to the 
raw wood. We are sometimes called upon to stain pine 
or spruce (such as in office partitions) a light or dark oak, 
cherry or mahogany. In this case I find that the stain 
should be made with a large proportion of oil and driers. 
There are so many soft places in the pine; if the stain is 
sharp it strikes into them much darker, but using the stain 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 57 

oily I find helps to give a more uniform color and also 
makes a good undercoat where it is to be finished with one 
coat of varnish. 

" Then again, we often find as many as the three kinds 
of soft woods, pine, spruce and basswood, in one room 
and it requires good judgment in reducing the stain to 
suit each wood, causing the man to carry three pots to get 
something like a uniform color. 

" To procure a good uniform color where wood is not 
first class (very often the case) many parts of the wood 
being soft and punky, it is advisable to give the work a 
coating of oil and turps; probably half and half, as one 
sees fit. In this case a stain containing less oil and more 
turps can be applied. After the oil coat is dry, and if the 
work is wiped carefully, a good effect can be had. We 
find that the pine we get to-day is very seldom fit to stain 
so as to imitate another wood, and is only good for jobs 
where it is merely a darkening or coloring of the wood. 
Whereas basswood or whitewood can be made to represent 
mahogany, cherry or rosewood, oil stain being preferable. 

" Recently in our locality we have had Georgia pine and 
fir introduced in the finishing of houses. First of all the 
Georgia pine was used for veranda ceilings, but now we 
have houses finished with it throughout, and we are just 
beginning to know how to deal with it and treat it, and 
the natural finish of these woods is beautiful and very 
suitable for kitchens and places where a light, bright finish 
is desired. 

" These woods make a nice finish when stained 
especially in oak and brown colors ; also the green weath- 
ered effects. The wood is not so well adapted for the 
red colors, mahogany and cherry. We also find that the 
wood does not always take the stains alike, and it is neces- 
sary to have two pots of stain. Even then the color may 
not be all uniform, but the effect is pleasing. Stain for 
this work needs lots of driers and should be wiped over 



58 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

and generally two coats of varnish will then give a good 
finish, dull or gloss. One trouble we have been up against 
which applies to this, as well as other woods, is the doors, 
which seem perfectly clear and ready for stain, and after 
staining show up spotty and blotchy, caused by rain or 
water, and then only a steel scraper will remove them by 
scraping all the stain off. There does not seem to be 
any way of knowing whether the spots are there or not 
until the stain is applied, but as soon as noticed the spots 
can be sandpapered off before staining. An ordinary 
scuff won't do, it needs some rubbing. 

" The hard woods, oak, ash, mahogany, birch, etc., have 
a great many stains in the market, and we very often find 
the architect specifies some particular maker's goods. In 
that case we have no option but to use them and to follow 
the directions. The stains I prefer particularly are the 
acid or water stains and dyes. By them some beautiful 
effects are obtained, and often desired by our customers, 
and in most of the effects produced by these stains the 
wood is seldom or never filled and usually finished with 
wax or flat varnish. This finish is less expensive than 
the varnish rubbed finish and may have something to do 
with their popularity, but when this finish or one of the 
various effects is desired, I think it is better to use the 
stain and finish as prescribed by the manufacturer, but 
when showing the sample and the customer selects, I 
would let them know that the stain may and may not be 
the exact shade, but it may get the same after a while. 
The wood we are called upon to stain may be different 
from the sample, the sample may be white oak and the 
work to be stained red oak, or both, causing different 
shades, making it necessary to tinker with the stain and 
then, in some cases, it is hardly possible to kill the red in 
red oak. I do not care to meddle with the manufacturers' 
stain if it can be avoided, unless by using the different 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 59 

stains of the same maker. So I think it is better to make 
an explanation before doing the work. 

" To my mind, the best way is to make your stains on 
the job, show the customer a sample of the work about to 
be done ; be sure the sample pleases him as well as your- 
self, and very seldom trouble occurs. There is one thing, 
when we use a manufacturer's stain and finish as specified, 
if anything goes wrong we can place the trouble with them. 

" Oak and ash are open grained woods and to procure a 
good, solid, lasting job I think it is necessary that they 
should be filled. 

" A stained filler is preferable to staining and filling 
as it fills the pores up better, and if one can procure the 
desired color, a stained filler applied to the raw wood, 
properly filled and cleaned, shows out the beauty of the 
wood, and gives it a much better surface to produce a 
polished finish and a durable job. 

" Then there is staining of birch. Birch takes a stain 
well and is passed off and believed to be mahogany with 
persons not acquainted with woods and the staining of 
them. In staining birch for dark mahogany, I have gen- 
erally used a water stain, filled with stained fillers and 
shellac before varnishing. The water stain raises the 
grain of the wood, and to overcome this I simply sponge 
the work all over with clear, cold water and when dry 
sandpaper it well, while the stain may even then raise 
the grain to some extent, the stain will stand some sand- 
papering with fine sandpaper; then the fillers and a coat 
of shellac will give a good smooth surface to varnish on. 
But with birch, as other woods, I prefer an oil stain, where 
the depth of color required can be procured. 

" I have had some trouble with mahogany stains or 
dyes where they were used in conjunction with white 
(that if a spot of stain got on the white) it was hard 
either to shake off or cover up, and have known it to 



60 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

show through several alternate coats of shellac and white 
paint. The staining of wood is a large subject, there are 
so many kinds of wood and many kinds of stain and many 
ways of producing similar effects or results." 

THE IMITATION OF HARDWOODS. 

How furniture makers imitate scarce and costly hard 
woods is told in a bulletin issued by the Government, and 
from which I am privileged to extract the following: 

" No set of men appreciate the seriousness of the tim- 
ber supply question more fully than those engaged in the 
manufacture of furniture, and assuredly no industry is 
better prepared technically to meet the condition of the 
market. They have succeeded admirably in coping with 
the situation by the economical use of material, by the 
practice of veneering, and by the successful imitation of 
the highest priced hardwoods, at the same time keeping 
up the standard of their product. During the last few 
years the great increase in the price of hardwood used in 
making furniture has created a strong demand for woods 
which can be used successfully in the imitation of the 
high-priced hardwoods. 

" The two woods that are the most often successfully 
imitated are mahogany and oak, particularly the quar- 
tered oak in the golden and darker finishes. Almost with- 
out exception, the makers of these imitations, either as 
imitations, or under some registered trade name, market 
them as such. He does not try to deceive. For imitating 
mahogany cherry was formerly used almost entirely. 
The diminished supply and increased price of cherry led 
the furniture makers to seek a wood that would lend itself 
more readily to the stain than cherry, and at the same 
time hold the gloss and show the grain. For these reasons 
birch, especially curly birch, maple, beech and gum are 
extensively used for all parts of furniture. Even in the 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 61 

better grades of mahogany furniture birch and maple 
stained to a mahogany finish are often used for the posts 
and frames, while genuine mahogany in the form of 
veneer is used for panels, tops and rolls. 

" In making imitation quarter oak almost any wood can 
be used, since in this case the original grain of the wood 
has been filled, and the quartering is printed on in dark 
ink by the impression of actual quartered oak rolls or by 
transfer from quartered oak prepared by special processes. 
The kinds of wood commonly used for this work are 
birch, maple, poplar, and plain sawed oak. After the 
wood has been finished and polished the imitation appears 
so real that only an expert can detect the difference. 

" There are certain woods used in furniture construc- 
tion which are extremely expensive, owing to the diffi- 
culty of obtaining pieces with a good grain of sufficient 
size for working. Such a wood, for instance, is Circas- 
sian walnut. This wood comes from the Ural Mountains, 
and is largely used in the form of veneers for chair backs, 
panels and tops of bedroom suites, table tops, etc., the 
balance of the piece of furniture being either of American 
or black walnut (natural finish), or of satin walnut, com- 
monly known as red gum. This red gum, while it does 
not often show the beautiful grain of the panel, is so near 
the color of the plain Circassian walnut that only close 
scrutiny can detect the difference in the wood." 



IMITATING OAK ON OTHER WOODS BY 
PRINTING. 

The process of imitating woods by the roller process or 
printing by transfer, was not included in the first edition 
of this work, though it should have been done, as I had 
the manuscript copy prepared for use. The description 
given is so full that the workman will have no difficulty 
in doing good work by its use. 



62 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

The Roller. — The roller should be made from strong, 
light, well seasoned wood. For doing certain parts like 
window sash or other small parts, make the roller a little 
greater in circumference than the length of the surface 
that is to be printed on. This roller may be the segment 
of a circle of wood, in the form of a rocker, or it may be 
made in this way: The shaft, extending about four 
inches on either end of the roller, to use in rolling, con- 
tains about twelve and one-half inch spokes, around which 
bend a strip of quarter-inch gum wood, and form the 
roller. Make the handles smooth. 

The Composition. — Take twelve ounces of raw linseed 
oil and heat to near the boiling point, then add one ounce 
of chloride of sulphur; in another vessel dissolve two 
pounds of the best white glue, and add eight ounces of 
glycerine; in dissolving the glue use as little water as 
will do the work. Now mix all together and stir thor- 
oughly. 

Here is another method : Dissolve twenty-seven parts 
of the best white glue and add to it twelve parts of com- 
mercial glycerine; add also a small quantity of molasses 
and raw linseed oil. For a roller weighing say from ten 
to fifteen pounds, a half-pint each of the molasses and oil 
will do. To test the composition for consistency cool a 
little of it, and if it proves to be too hard, add a little 
more glycerine ; if too soft, add a little more glue. Keep 
the composition hot, it will not hurt it to boil; in fact it 
is better for it to come to a boil, as the boiling will expel 
surplus water, which must be removed. 

Making Larger Roller. — For a larger roller mold the 
composition directly on to the roller. Make a circular 
head of one-inch board three- fourths to one and one-half 
inches larger than the roller ; make a hole in the center of 
heads, there being two, to admit the shaft of the handles 
of the roller. Cut the edges of the heads true, and fasten 
down close to the roller; secure same firmly with bolts 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 63 

made to hook over the spokes of the roller. Fasten the 
head down true, so that it will form a flange of equal 
depth all around the roller. Now turn the roller over, 
and stop all holes with plaster of Paris ; the best way to 
do this is to run the plaster all around the inside of the 
roller, for there must be no leaks. In the head of the 
roller as it now stands upright cut out three or four holes 
along the edge of the head, about one by two inches, to 
allow pouring in of the composition, and escape of air. 
Now take a long and smooth strip of zinc that will be 
enough to enclose the roller, rub it well with grease, or 
oil, then place it around the roller, oiled side in. But be 
sure to get the zinc well oiled, to prevent any of the com- 
position from sticking to it; apply plenty of oil, rub it 
well into the metal, and rub off the surplus with a rag, 
then rub it off with your bare hand. A very large roller 
will require to have the zinc fastened with collar bands. 
Draw the zinc around the heads of the roller and pour in 
the composition through a strainer. Let it stand for 
twelve hours before removing the zinc. 

For a Smaller Roller. — For a smaller roller make a 
light wooden frame of the required size, as a mold, set in 
plaster of Paris on a piece of zinc or glass ; into this mold 
pour the composition, and on top of the composition lay 
a piece of canvas. When cool attach to roller or rocker, 
fastening the edges and ends of canvas with tacks. 

Using the Roller. — Now prepare a sample board of 
the kind of wood that you wish to print from, selecting as 
nice a specimen as you can, with good markings, and let 
the board be about six inches wider and a foot longer than 
the circumference of the roller ; dress the wood carefully. 
Fasten thin strips all around the board, and extending 
an inch above the board, bore a half-inch hole in one 
corner, for use in cleaning off the board. Now take half 
a box of concentrated lye and dissolve it in hot water. 
Pour this out on the board, allow it to remain about twenty 



64 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

minutes or so, then run it off and wash the board with 
clear water until no trace of the lye remains. When the 
board is perfectly dry smooth it up with fine sandpaper. 
Then try the board, apply the color, to ascertain whether 
the grain is sufficiently eaten out for printing; if it is 
not, give it another bath of the lye. The lye will eat 
away all the softer part of the surface of the wood, leav- 
ing only the harder parts, which is the grain or heart 
growth. The board is then like a zinc etching. 

The Scraper. — You will need a scraper, which may be 
made in the following manner. Take a piece of clear 
white pine board }i inch thick, 4 inches wide, and 12 
inches long. In one edge of this board cut a groove one 
inch deep. Set in this groove, with glue, a firm piece of 
sole leather i}4 inches wide and as long as the board. 
Plane off the edge of the wood down to the leather to a 
rather blunt edge, and be sure to get the edge perfectly 
true. This tool is your scraper, for removing the sur- 
plus color from the impression board, or printing block. 

The Printing Color. — Water color cannot be used. 
Use pigments ground in japan, and make the printing 
color a little thicker than ordinary oil paint. Strain it on 
to the board, enough to cover well, then spread it out 
evenly with the scraper, taking the tool with both hands 
and pushing it before you, pressing down hard. A new 
board is rather difficult to make clean enough to get a 
good impression from, so it may be necessary to run it a 
few times before doing the actual work of printing, to get 
it clean. The idea is to have just enough color in the 
pores of the wood to fill them level full, so that a clear 
impression may be had. After the board has been in use 
for a time it will clean off nicely, by running over it once. 
Japan colors are best for making the impression paint, 
thinning with turpentine to paste form, then adding a lit- 
tle boiled linseed oil, to prevent the color from becoming 
dry while on the board. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 65 

Having coated the impression board with the color, 
take the roller in both hands ; select a point on the roller 
to start with, then place it down on the board ; press down 
evenly, and with firm pressure roll it along the board 
until the roller has made a complete revolution, being 
careful to not go beyond this point, for that would make a 
lap on the roller ; now pick up the roller without allowing 
it to slip on the board, and place it carefully on to the 
surface that is to be printed, beginning with the same 
point on the roller that you began with on the impression 
board. Roll firmly, evenly, steadily, and never allow 
the roller to slip. This will produce on the prepared sur- 
face a perfect copy of the impression board, the hard 
parts, uninked, showing clear, the printed parts coming 
from the eaten out portions. 

Care of Roller and Board. — After making the im- 
pression clean off the roller with a rag dampened with 
benzine, then run the board as before, taking another im- 
pression, and so proceed until you are done printing. 
When done finally clean off the impression board with 
benzine and a stiff brush, leaving not a particle of the 
color on. Should the board become more or less clogged 
you will have to treat it again with lye, but be care- 
ful to not let the lye eat too long or too much. Finally 
clean with water, let it dry, then put it away for 
another job. Clean the roller carefully with benzine and 
set it in a cool place. A certain degree of heat will 
melt the composition. Otherwise it will keep indefi- 
nitely. 

Finishes in Favor. — Among the principal effects that 
are to-day being largely used are the following : 

For Oak. — Natural, light antique, dark antique, golden 
oak in various shades, forest green, Flemish oak, 
weathered oak, cathedral oak, fumed oak, Antwerp oak, 
green weathered oak, brown oak. 

For Ash. — Natural, light and dark antique, golden 



66 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

oaks or brown and black casts, and all colors that are used 
on oak. 

For Birch. — Natural, mahogany, forest green, silver 
gray. 

For Mahogany. — Tuna mahogany, light and dark 
mahogany effects, all shades, old mahogany. 

For Walnut. — Natural, dark walnut. 

For Cherry. — Similar to birch finishes. 

For Chestnut. — Similar finishes to oak. 

For Maple. — Natural, pearl gray, silver gray, mahog- 
any (all shades). 

For Cypress, Pine and Whitewood. — Natural, oak, 
mahogany and walnut liquid filler, golden oak, weathered, 
Flemish and Antwerp shades, brown oak, forest green, 
green weathered, etc. 

For California Redwood. — Similar to pine finishes. 

The Grays in Oak. — Intermingled with the brown- 
stained offerings so popular to-day and the dark-green of 
the mission, entering in oak furniture and trim, we have 
various shades of gray in oak now. These gray shades 
are not new things, by any means, but there seems to be 
more successful effort at pushing them than heretofore. 
The present-day ideas in gray seem to have originated at 
the great exposition held in St. Louis a little more than 
ten years ago, where the German contingent showed con- 
siderable stuff in gray colors. The first efforts apparently 
did not meet with very pronounced success, but the idea 
has stayed with us and is being more industriously fostered 
to-day than ever before. The gray idea was first used 
more generally on maple than anything else. There were 
finishes known as silver-gray on maple even previous to 
the exposition mentioned. It is an old finish that has 
been used more or less for a generation or more. This 
year, however, the idea seems to have gotten into the oak 
field in various shades and finishes in gray, and the result 
is quite a mingling of gray effects with the mission and 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 67 

with the tobacco brown finishes that seem to be more 
popular at the present time. 

Some of these grays are attractive as well as striking in 
appearance, but all of them are rather cold, and while 
they may appeal for summer furniture and warm weather, 
there is not enough warmth about most of them to make 
them desirable in the winter time. The gray fad is likely 
to be overdone and bring about a reaction soon, because 
we not only have it in various shades and grades in the 
oak itself, but it is to be seen in printed paper imitations 
of the oak, and it is these that will perhaps serve to turn 
popular favor away from the grays. For the time being, 
however, gray is an item in oak finish, and where care- 
fully and artistically done it presents an artistic effect. 
It is a finish, though, that seems a bit difficult, in that there 
are only certain shades and effects in it that are pleasing, 
and so many of the others are objectionable that it is not 
very likely to remain in popular favor for any great length 
of time. 



WOOD STAINS AND THEIR USE. 

Stains for wood finishing may be obtained from both 
mineral and vegetable substances, and until recent years 
these were the only kinds known. Now we have the 
aniline dyes or stains, a valuable addition to our list, and 
the most extensively used. The anilines are much more 
fugitive than the mineral or vegetable stains, but offer an 
almost unlimited number and variety of beautiful colors, 
in which respect they differ materially from the older 
stains. Upon the whole, the vegetable stains give more 
satisfaction than those derived from coal tar, or aniline 
dyes, yet they are not entirely permanent, but are liable 
to fade more or less with time. In fact, the action of 
sunlight upon color seems to be to lighten it. Still, 
while vegetable and mineral stains do fade more or less, 



68 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

yet it requires considerable time, as a rule, for this action 
to be fully accomplished, whereas, certain aniline stains 
have been known to fade badly within a very few weeks. 
A finisher tells of a house done with mahogany aniline 
stain on birch that faded badly before the house was fin- 
ished. Olive aniline stain has been known to change soon 
to a dirty reddish-brown. But now it is said that aniline 
color makers have succeeded in making certain anilines 
quite light proof. 

Vegetable and mineral stains are usually prepared for 
use with water, but in some cases they are used in con- 
nection with oil or turpentine. A water stain is more 
penetrating than an oil stain, and gives a more solid color, 
owing to the fact that it carries all its pigment into the 
wood, whereas oil stain holds some of its pigment and 
renders the staining more transparent, or less opaque. 
Water stain raises the grain of the wood more than oil 
stain. Turpentine and alcohol carry stain well into the 
wood, but both are more costly than water stain, factors 
of importance with concerns using large quantities of 
stain. Oil stain brushes out well on soft woods, water 
stains do not. Spirit stains sink in too quickly for good 
distribution of color. On very hard woods an oil stain 
will not penetrate well, but water stain does. The best 
mineral or earth pigments to use with oil are Vandyke 
brown, burnt and raw sienna, and burnt and raw umber. 
For this purpose the pigments cannot be too finely ground. 
The pigments suitable for use in oil staining are equally 
suitable for water stains, but many vegetable, most of 
them, in fact, are not suited for use with oil. Of the lat- 
ter may be named here, with further mention in another 
place, turmeric, gamboge, dragon's blood, etc. 

To prepare aniline for staining, those only that are 
soluble in water will do, of course, unless a spirit stain 
is desired, there being anilines soluble in oil and alcohol, 
as well as in water. But those mostly used in wood finish- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 69 

ing work are soluble in water. Those soluble in oil do 
not interest the finisher. They are sometimes used in con- 
nection with the coloring of varnish and wax for the 
family trade in finishes. 

Anilines must not be placed in a metal vessel, but in 
glass or earthenware. To prepare the stain for use where 
the stain is used day by day, or for other than occasional 
use, make up what is called a stock solution, by placing an 
ounce of the aniline to a quart of hot or boiling water, 
pouring the water over the dyestuff and stirring mean- 
while with a wooden paddle or a stick. Soft water is 
the best. In about one hour the dye may be filtered 
through a wad of raw cotton, placed in the neck of a 
funnel, and this in turn in the neck of a bottle. As metal 
is apt to discolor the dye, better use a glass funnel. Cork 
the bottle tight and label it with name of dye and strength 
of solution. When wanted for use it may be diluted in 
another vessel, or a measured quantity poured out and 
diluted with a measured quantity of water, all in proper 
proportion. The rule is, an ounce of aniline to the gallon 
of water to form a working stain; hence to a pint of the 
stock solution, as it is called, you may add three pints of 
water. Use hot water for diluting the stain. Take the 
cotton from the funnel and soak it in a little water, enough 
to take up the dye that is in the cotton, place this solution 
in another bottle, and label it accordingly. The first solu- 
tion only is the " stock solution." In this way there is no 
waste of dye, as in daily mixing, and you can have an as- 
sortment of dyes on hand, in stock solutions. They will 
keep good for a long time when not used. 

To prepare aniline dye with alcohol, place a half ounce 
of the aniline in a vessel, glass or earthenware, as before, 
and pour over it a quart of alcohol, and shake it occasion- 
ally the first few hours. Then filter it into another vessel, 
and finally place it in a bottle properly labeled. It is not 
really necessary to filter it, but it will do no harm. Filter 



70 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

paper should be used, if you do filter it, placing a saucer 
over the paper as it filters, to prevent evaporation. 

In the application of aniline stain, whether it be water 
or alcohol stain, it must be used quickly if you would have 
uniform coloring of the surface of the work. Especially 
is spirit stain difficult to apply, owing to its quick setting, 
and only the expert may do it easily and with success. 
There is no tool better for applying either of these liquid 
stains than a small sponge. In order to show any mark- 
ings the wood may have the stain should be wiped off im- 
mediately after application. A stain may be made lighter 
by dilution, and darker by application of two coats. To 
appear at their best some woods need two coats of stain. 
On soft, spongy wood it is better to size the wood with a 
very thin coat of shellac, before staining it. Some woods 
are benefited by bleaching before staining, the bleacher 
being made from chloride of tin 8 oz., soda crystals I oz., 
and water 5 pints. Apply, and after a little while apply 
a wash of dilute sulphuric acid, then wash off with clear 
water ; then let dry, following with stain. 

The raising of the grain of the wood by water stains, 
and to a less degree by spirit stains, causes annoyance and 
additional labor to the finisher. One method for meet- 
ing this difficulty is something like a vaccination. The 
bare wood is first wetted with water, to raise all the grain 
it can, and this, when dry, is sandpapered off, then the 
stain will not have so much fuzz to raise ; that is the idea, 
and it seems plausible. One finisher advises first treat- 
ing the wood with a mixture of five parts of benzine and 
one part raw oil, which he claims is better than the wetting 
with water, as it not only minimizes the raising of the 
grain, but it also prevents the too deep sinking in of the 
stain, giving a more uniform surface. All such ideas of 
practical workmen are worth trying out. Some finishers 
add a little glycerine to a spirit stain, or castor oil, but it 
is apt to cause trouble with the succeeding coat of shellac 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 71 

or varnish. Yet it is supposed to be the better of the two 
articles named, and about a tablespoonful of the oil is 
added to the quart of stain, but the stain must be allowed 
ample time for drying, before filling or varnishing the 
work. In the case of finishes like Flemish oak, which are 
neither filled nor varnished, the oil will do no harm, and a 
more liberal quantity of it may be used. However, as 
there is danger in the use of castor oil and glycerine it 
would be better to try Venice turpentine, say a tablespoon- 
ful to the pint of stain. 

STAIN FORMULA FOR HARD AND SOFT WOODS. 
Staining Oak. 

To Match Brown Oak. — When it is desired to match 
brown or pollard oak on common oak the effect may be 
accomplished with a stain made from an ounce of bichro- 
mate of potash dissolved in five pints of soft water, which 
is a weak solution, but strong enough for the purpose; if 
not, then make the solution stronger, as desired. Apply 
with sponge. 

Weathered Oak. — Make a solution of equal parts of 
water and green copperas (iron sulphate). Or iron ace- 
tate, which may be made from iron steeped in sulphuric 
acid and water. 

Dissolve an ounce of bichromate of potash in a pint of 
water, and apply in alternate coats with the iron solution, 
each coat to be dry before applying the next coat. 

Dissolve two ounces each of potash and pearlash in one 
quart of water; use alternately with a solution of either 
iron acetate or iron sulphate. 

Take of powdered ivory black and Vandyke brown 
equal parts, and make to a paste with alcohol, making the 
mass quite stiff, for it must then be made to a less stiff 
paste with shellac, and for staining thin up with alcohol. 

Add a little Bismarck brown to Nigrosine B, and dilute 



72 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

with water to form the stain. Or dilute with alcohol, 
which will not raise the grain of the wood as water does. 
The shellac acts as a binder, giving a near-dead finish, 
without further treatment. For red oak make a stain 
more on the blue-black order. 

An oil stain may be made from Vandyke brown and 
ivory drop black in oil, thinned with equal parts of oil and 
turpentine, or with the latter alone, or with benzine and 
a little japan. 

Bog Oak. — Dissolve two ounces of permanganate of 
potash in a quart of boiling water ; when cold add to it an 
ounce of verdigris that has been dissolved in strong vine- 
gar or acetic acid. To increase the green color add more 
verdigris solution; to lighten, add potash solution. 

To make bog oak on white oak dissolve an ounce of 
verdigris in one pint of ammonia water. 

Mix with a gallon of ninety-five per cent, alcohol one 
pound of finely powdered burnt Turkey umber and two 
ounces of chemically pure chrome green of light shade; 
shake the mixture occasionally and after twenty-four 
hours add one pint of shellac varnish, then strain all 
through a fine sieve. 

Mission Oak. — Break up two pounds of drop black 
(ground in oil), and an ounce of rose pink, also in oil, 
with a half-pint of best brown japan, thinning the mass 
with three pints of turpentine, then straining through a 
cheese cloth. A quicker-drying stain may be made using 
colors ground in japan, and omitting the brown japan and 
using instead, as a binder, a gill of copal varnish. 

A simpler process is as follows: Mix boiled linseed 
oil and asphaltum together in equal proportions, and apply 
as a stain, using a brush. In a minute or two rub off with 
a cloth, removing all surplus stain, and when dry it may be 
varnished if desired. One gallon of this stain will cover 
about 600 square feet of smooth wood. 

Flemish Oak. — This effect is nearly black, the wood 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 73 

not being filled. For quick work use aniline spirit stain 
made with Nigrosine black. Two coats may be given 
within one hour. This quick process is used by picture 
frame makers. 

Thin up some japan black with turpentine and add a 
little coach varnish to bind the stain. Dissolve four 
ounces of Seal Brown aniline in a gallon of boiling water, 
and when this is cold add four ounces of strong vinegar. 
In order to secure the necessary deep black effect several 
coats of stain are required. A very black effect may also 
be had with four ounces of Nigrosine dissolved in one 
gallon of boiling water, or in one-half pint of vinegar. 

Light and Dark Oak. — For a light oak stain, take two 
pounds of raw Italian sienna and one-half pound of raw 
Turkey umber, both ground in oil, and thin up with half 
gallon each of boiled oil and turpentine and one quart of 
brown japan. A dark oak may be made from burnt 
umber alone, or with raw umber, or with some raw sienna 
added, according to depth of color desired. The umber 
darkens, the sienna lightens color. 

Golden Oak. — Equal parts of gold size japan and the 
best asphaltum varnish make one of the best golden oak 
stains ; thin up with turpentine. This stain dries quickly 
and hard, and will not raise the grain of the wood. Wipe 
off soon after application of stain. Although asphaltum 
gives the best of golden oaks, yet it is not the best thing 
under varnish, causing much trouble. 

A spirit stain may be made by steeping an ounce of 
powdered nutgalls in a pint of alcohol, which let stand 
well corked for two or three days. Then strain it. It 
should then be decidedly black. Now dissolve a half- 
ounce of Bismarck brown in one-half pint of alcohol, 
strain, and add to the first solution ; then add a teaspoon- 
ful of tin chloride and enough alcohol to make the whole 
amount one quart. Should the Bismarck brown make the 
color too red, use a solution of saffron in alcohol instead. 



74 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

A water stain golden oak may be made with a pound of 
burnt umber and one-half pound of raw sienna, both in 
powder form. Mix with one gallon of water, and then 
add a gill of strong ammonia water, say 28 deg. 

Antwerp Oak. — Dissolve Nigrosine black in water and 
add a little Bismarck brown. The flakes of the oak 
should show up coffee-color or brown, with the grain 
black. 

Gray Oak. — The wood should not be filled for gray 
oak effect, but it should be shellaced and waxed for 
finish. 

To give the desired gray color to the wood, take a slate- 
gray aniline and dissolve in water to the desired shade. 
There is on the market a " silver gray " stain, in water. 
This is finished with white shellac and waxed. 

A very nice bluish-gray stain may be obtained by the 
use of a solution of iron sulphate, the color result depend- 
ing upon the strength of solution and amount of tannin in 
the wood. 

Dark Oak Stains. — Oak may be darkened with a 
strong decoction of coffee; this gives a very pleasing 
brown. 

To equal parts of water and sulphuric acid add iron 
filings enough to make a very dark liquid. Several coats 
may be necessary. 

Boil eight ounces of madder and two ounces of log- 
wood chips in a gallon of boiling water; apply hot. 
When dry, apply a solution of pearlash, two drams to a 
quart of water. 

Boil eight ounces of logwood chips in a pint of water, 
and add one-half ounce of tartaric acid. Apply hot. 

Boil eight ounces of madder and same of fustic in one 
gallon of water, and apply hot. 

A strong solution of sal soda will darken oak, but it 
will require several coats, two at least. Sandpaper very 
lightly, and rub to finish with boiled oil. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 75 

Give the wood a coat of strong ammonia water, and 
when dry give it a coat of turpentine. The finish may be 
varnish, shellac, or wax, as desired. Bichromate of pot- 
ash solution will give a richer effect than ammonia. 

A very nice effect may be obtained by the application of 
a paste of freshly slaked lime, which when dry may be 
brushed off, following with a coat of boiled oil, rubbed. 

Antique Oak. — This may be done in various ways, but 
here is a common method: Dissolve twelve ounces of 
dry Vandyke brown in one gallon of water, to which add 
a pint of ammonia water of 16 or 18 deg. Heat stain on 
stove, then add, after removing from stove, one-half pint 
of turpentine, which will prevent raising of grain of 
wood. 

Various Stains For Various Woods. 

Brown Stains. — Various brown tones may be obtained 
by mordanting with bichromate of potash and the applica- 
tion of a decoction of fustic or logwood. 

Diluted sulphuric acid, applied to a clean surface, will 
give a brown stain that will vary with degree of strength 
of the solution. When the acid has browned the wood 
sufficiently its action may be arrested by the application of 
ammonia. Apply the acid with a bristle brush. 

Tincture of iodine gives a fine brown on wood, but the 
color is not permanent unless protected by a coat of 
varnish. 

A simple brown stain may be made from half-ounce of 
alkanet root, one ounce of aloes, and one ounce of dragon's 
blood, placed in alcohol to digest, using one pint of the 
alcohol. The wood must be prepared for the stain by 
mordanting it with an acid. Like all alcoholic stains, 
this one is not very durable. 

Bismarck brown one part, sulphate of soda eighteen 
parts, Nigrosine one- fourth part. Or you may omit the 
Nigrosine. Dissolve all in water to the required strength. 



76 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Or you may try Benzo brown three parts and table salt 
ten parts. 

For a good cheap stain, especially for floors, dissolve 
one-fourth ounce of permanganate of potash in one quart 
of hot water and apply hot and freely. This stain is at 
first a bright magenta red, but soon changes to brown. 
The application of two or more coats will give a darker 
shade of brown. When dry rub with boiled oil or with 
wax. 

Dissolve a pound of dry Vandyke brown in one gallon 
of water, which must be hot, and boil it until the volume 
is reduced to two-thirds. Then mix up two ounces of 
potash with water enough to dissolve it, then mix with 
the stain. Apply two or more coats, as to color desired. 

A yellowish-brown may be obtained with iron sulphate. 

Boil one part of catechu (cutch or gambier) with thirty 
parts of water, then add a little bicarbonate of soda. Ap- 
ply the stain, and when dry apply a solution of one part 
bichromate of soda in thirty parts of water. By a little 
difference in the method of treatment, and by varying the 
strength of the solution, this will give various shades of 
brown. The stain is permanent and tends to preserve the 
wood. 

Black Stains. — The following stain may be applied 
to almost any kind of wood and successfully. Boil one 
ounce of logwood extract in 2> T A pints of water, and 
when the dye has been entirely boiled out of the extract 
take the liquid and add to it a dram of yellow chromate 
of potash (not bichromate), then shake the mixture. At 
first the color will be purple, but it quickly turns to black. 
This stain makes a fair writing ink also. 

Brazilwood one part, to five parts of water ; boil with 
fifteen per cent, of alum. For a very deep black use a 
mordant of solution of iron, then apply the stain. 

Nigrosine black, four ounces, dissolved in one gallon 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 77 

of boiling water. A denser solution than this will give a 
jet black. 

Apply a coat of hot logwood solution and when dry ap- 
ply another coat. When this is dry give it a solution of 
iron acetate, which will act on the logwood stain and pro- 
duce a good black. For a finish it may be left as it is, a 
dead black, or it may be waxed or rubbed with raw oil. 

Boil together Brazilwood and powdered nutgalls in 
soft water until the liquid becomes black. Filter and ap- 
ply hot. As many coats should be given as will be neces- 
sary to produce a black surface; follow with a coat of 
iron acetate solution. If this is supplemented with a coat 
of alum and nitric acid solution, with a little verdigris 
also, the durability of the stain will be increased. Finally 
apply a decoction of nutgalls and logwood. 

Break up an ounce of nutgalls and pour over same 
half-pint of strong vinegar; let it stand thirty minutes, 
then add an ounce of iron filings ; the vinegar will then 
begin to effervesce. Cover it up, but not so as to exclude 
all air. Let it stand thirty minutes, then it is ready for 
use. Give the wood a coat of the stain, and let it dry. 
Apply as many coats as may be needed to get the desired 
depth of color. Keep in tightly corked bottle. 

Black Stains for New Furniture. — There are many 
ways for producing black on wood, but probably sulphide 
of soda or potash, in the lump, is the best chemical sub- 
stance for the purpose. It makes a fast black, one that 
is superior to that produced with acetate of iron or tannic 
acid. The first application must be allowed time to dry, 
about two days, before giving the second coat. The re- 
sultant stain is a perfect jet black. 

Boil one pound of logwood chips in two quarts of water 
for one hour. Apply while hot, and when dry repeat the 
application. Dissolve an ounce of copperas in a quart of 
water, or stronger if desired, and apply; this will give 



78 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

an intense black, exposure to the air developing the color. 
For the finish, make a size with dry lampblack and glue, 
very thin, and apply. When dry sandpaper with fine 
paper. Then apply a coat of shellac containing enough 
drop black to darken it, thinning with alcohol. Or, add 
drop black to good copal varnish and give two coats ; the 
finish may be either dull or gloss. 

Black or Ebony Stains. — For a hard wood, give two 
coats of Nigrosine black stain and fill with black filler; 
sandpaper smooth with fine paper, then apply a coat of 
ivory japan black, thinned with turpentine; when dry, 
varnish and polish. 

Take two pounds of logwood chips, one-half pound of 
copperas, four ounces of dry drop black, one pound of 
logwood extract, and boil in two quarts of water for four 
hours ; strain, then add an ounce of nutgalls, powdered. 

Dissolve 300 parts of Campeachy extract in 2000 parts 
of boiling water, then add fifty parts of eighty per cent, 
acetic acid, followed by 400 parts of iron acetate and 
water enough to make the weight up to 3000 parts ; the 
whole being finally allowed to cool. 

Nutgalls 14 ounces, ground logwood 3^ ounces, iron 
sulphate ify ounces, and verdigris i^4 ounces. Apply 
one coat, let it dry, then apply iron acetate solution, two 
or three coats of it. 

Red Ebony may be imitated on sycamore or beech, the 
former being the best. Mordant with a hot alum solu- 
tion, and when this is dry apply a hot solution of brazil- 
wood. When this in turn has dried apply a cold solution 
of copper acetate. 

Lignum Vitse may be imitated on sycamore or beech 
by applying a hot decoction of madder, let it dry, then 
apply a wash of sulphuric acid, washing off with clear 
water as soon as the required depth of color is obtained. 

Best Woods for Ebonizing are those having a very 
close grain and which are very dense or hard. Pear wood 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 79 

is considered by some to be the best, but apple, sycamore 
and hazelwood also are very good. 

Common Black Staining. — Boil together brazilwood, 
powdered nutgalls, and alum in soft water until the water 
turns black; filter, and apply warm. Repeat until the 
color is deep enough, then apply a coat of solution of iron 
acetate. 

Polish for Ebony Wood. — To white shellac varnish 
add a small quantity of finely powdered Prussian blue, 
which will greatly enhance the ebony effect. 

Walnut Stains. — Mix equal parts of raw umber and 
Vandyke brown to a paste with ammonia water, and re- 
duce to staining consistency with water. 

Make up a mordant of permanganate of potash one 
ounce in a quart of water, apply, and when dry apply a 
coat of a solution of one ounce of powdered nutgalls, or 
crushed nutgalls, mixed with four ounces of potash, add- 
ing some Vandyke brown for color, making of the formula 
one quart of stain. 

Mix together half-gallon boiled oil, one quart of best 
brown japan, and half-gallon of turpentine, and add for 
color two pounds of burnt umber, in oil. By the addi- 
tion of a half-pound of either drop black or Vandyke 
brown a deeper color may be had. A lighter walnut color 
may be obtained by adding one-half pound of burnt sienna 
to the first formula. 

A light walnut stain may be made from an ounce of 
permanganate of potash dissolved in thirty ounces of 
pure soft water, applying two coats with five minute in- 
tervals between ; wash off with clear water, and when dry 
oil and polish. A dark walnut may be had by following 
the foregoing formula and after washing with clear water 
make dark veins in the wood, with iron acetate solution, 
using a soft hair pencil. 

A cheap walnut stain may be made by dissolving dry 
burnt umber in a little vinegar; then mix a pound of 



80 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

dry Venetian red with a pint of asphaltum and a quart of 
turpentine, adding this to the vinegar preparation. 

White pine or any white wood will take walnut stain 
well. Permanganate of potash gives a good walnut on 
white wood, and the walnut markings may be imitated 
with a soft hair pencil and an iron solution. Standage 
says that privet berries, two ounces in one-half pint of 
water, will give a walnut color that is difficult to tell from 
the real wood. Burnt umber is a good walnut color, and 
it may be lightened with burnt sienna, or darkened with 
drop black. Vandyke brown, the equivalent of burnt 
umber and drop black mixed, gives a good black walnut 
color. Such pigments are very handy for making stains, 
and they may be mixed with either water or oil. 

To a gallon of shellac add a pound of dry burnt umber, 
a pound of burnt sienna, dry, and a quarter-pound of dry 
lampblack. First mix the pigments by sifting, then mix 
with very thin shellac. Apply one coat, and when dry 
sandpaper lightly, after which finish with a coat of shellac 
or copal varnish. Useful especially for the backboards 
of mirrors, etc. 

Cherry Stain. — Bismarck brown makes a fine cherry 
stain, one ounce in two quarts of water, boiling, adding 
one-half gill of vinegar. If too dark it may be thinned 
down with water. 

A cheap stain may be made from a pound of burnt 
sienna and a pint of strong vinegar; apply liberally, and 
wipe off soon as done. 

Mix two pounds of burnt sienna and one pound of raw 
sienna, both ground in oil, with two quarts of boiled oil, 
one quart of the best brown japan, and the same of 
turpentine. The color of burnt sienna varies, from a 
cherry red to a decidedly brownish red, hence if you get 
the latter kind then omit the raw sienna and use two 
pounds of the burnt sienna. In all cases of staining 
where burnt or raw sienna is mentioned it is understood 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 81 

that the best, or Italian sienna, is to be used. The same 
with umber, only Turkey umber is good enough for stain- 
ing with. 

Dragon's blood makes a good cherry stain, two ounces 
to the quart of alcohol, shaking occasionally until per- 
fectly digested. 

Boil four ounces of annota in three quarts of soft 
water, preferably in a copper kettle; add a lump of pot- 
ash about the size of a hulled walnut. Keep the kettle 
on the fire thirty minutes after adding the potash, and 
be sure that the annota is perfectly digested before you 
add the potash. 

Equal parts of alkanet root, aloes and dragon's blood 
and steep in alcohol that will equal in weight twenty times 
the combined weight of the colors, using ninety-five per 
cent, strength alcohol. Let the decoction stand several 
days in tightly corked bottles. Prepare surface of wood 
with a mordant of dilute nitric acid (eight to ten per 
cent.), which will give a rather dark effect, but the stain 
may be lightened by diluting it with alcohol. Strain be- 
fore using. 

Red Stains. — Carmine 30 parts, ammonia 50 parts, 
salicylic acid 3 parts, and distilled water from 1000 to 
2000 parts. Rub the carmine down in a porcelain mortar, 
and stir up with a little water. Meanwhile the salicylic 
acid has been dissolved in the ammonia, this solution be- 
ing added by degrees to the carmine, which it dissolves. 
Finally the rest of the water is added by degrees. 

Eosine aniline red one part, sulphate of soda ten parts, 
acetic acid three parts, with water to make to desired 
strength. 

Magenta No. 2, B, \ J / 2 parts, auramine 1 part, soda sul- 
phate 10 parts ; water to desired strength. 

Azo cochineal 2 parts, soda sulphate 10 parts, sulphuric 
acid 2 parts. Water sufficient. 

Rose benzol five parts, water ten parts. 



82 THE EXPERT WQOD FINISHER 

For the above aniline dyes it is advised to use a mor- 
dant, alum water being the one to apply to the wood. 

Blue Stains. — Victoria blue 42 one part, soda sul- 
phate ten parts. Or Nile blue one part, soda sulphate ten 
parts. Or soluble blue, R, three parts, water eight parts. 

One coat of aniline blue for ultramarine blue. To get 
a fine plum or damson blue apply a coat of dragon's blood 
over the blue stain. 

Boil 1 pound of indigo, 2 pounds of woad, and 3 ounces 
of alum in one gallon of water, and coat the work until 
well stained. 

There are many ways for obtaining beautiful blue ef- 
fects with stains on wood, mostly with the aniline dyes. 
A very pretty blue is obtained with bleu de Lyon, the blue 
having a reddish cast; bleu de lumiere, a pure blue; and 
light blue, which has a slightly greenish cast. These 
anilines may be dissolved at the rate of one part of color 
to thirty parts of ninety per cent, alcohol; apply to the 
wood in the usual manner. Another very fine blue may 
be had by dissolving a little more than one ounce of the 
best indigo carmine in 8^4 ounces of water. Give the 
wood several coats, allowing each coat to dry before ap- 
plying another. A very simple and inexpensive blue 
stain may also be had by applying a coat of Prussian blue 
dissolved in water, repeating the application for greater 
depth of color. When dry size with warm, not hot, glue 
size. Sandpaper lightly when dry, using very fine paper, 
then finish with a coat of varnish, or French polishing. 

Green Stains. — Treat a solution of indigo carmine 
with sufficient picric acid, in solution, to produce the de- 
sired shade. 

Brilliant green three parts, Bismarck brown half part, 
soda sulphate ten parts. Or Brilliant green one part, 
Chrisoidine one and one-half parts, and soda sulphate 
ten parts. Or Malachite green one part, Nile blue, A, 
J4 part, soda sulphate ten parts. All in water, q. s. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 83 

Emerald green may be obtained with a coat of Vic- 
toria green. A deep olive green may be obtained with a 
coat of yellow or orange stain on the Victoria green. 

A handsome bluish-green may be obtained by treating 
the wood with prussiate of potash solution, after which 
apply a solution of iron acetate. This makes a sort of 
peacock blue. 

The once popular malachite green stain used on furni- 
ture and house trim is made from Prussian blue and raw 
sienna, in such proportions as will give the desired color. 

Green Stain on Oak. — Mix up some bronze green 
paint in oil and thin out with turpentine to a thin paint ; 
apply it with a woolen cloth, not a brush, and rub off well. 

Or add 4 ounces of verdigris to 3 pints of strong vine- 
gar: first pulverize the verdigris. Add J^ ounce of sap 
green and the same of indigo ; add also some brown stain 
made from walnut hulls boiled in water. Apply hot with 
a brush. 

Yellow Stains. — Yellow stains vary greatly in composi- 
tion, and most are somewhat fugitive. A fairly stable 
one consists of half as much barberry wood as water, 
by weight, adding a little alum to the extract. 

Treat surface of wood with a hot concentrated solu- 
tion of picric acid, let it dry, then stain it. Picric acid 
being very poisonous care must be taken in its use. 

Boil a pound of Persian berries and two ounces of 
pearlash in a gallon of water ; add gradually a strong solu- 
tion of alum : When precipitated pour off the water. 

For an orange yellow apply a coat of nitric acid, y 2 part 
mixed with 1^2 parts of rain or other soft water. The 
undiluted acid will give a brownish-yellow. 

Yellows may be made from Auramine four parts, sul- 
phate of soda ten parts. Or Naphthol yellow one part, 
soda sulphate ten parts, sulphuric acid two parts. Or 
Crocein orange one part, soda sulphate ten parts, sulphuric 
acid one part. Water q. s. 



84 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Gray Stain. — Add one part of silver nitrate to 50 
parts water, distilled preferred. Apply, and when dry 
acetate of iron solution, one or more coats, as necessary. 
Be careful not to get any of this stain on your hands. 

Gray stain for oak may be made with iron acetate, the 
solution acting on the tannin in the wood, producing a 
line gray effect. To secure a handsome rich brown apply 
a coat of orange shellac over the gray stain. 

For maple a silver-gray stain may be made from iron 
acetate, or from a solution of gallnuts. Or verdigris in 
vinegar, or crystallized verdigris in water. In any case, 
the solution may be used warm or cold. 

Rosewood Stain. — To one gallon of alcohol add two 
ounces of camwood; set it in a warm place twenty-four 
hours, then add three ounces of logwood and one ounce 
of nitric acid, and when all is dissolved the fluid may be 
strained and used. 

Apply a coat of aniline blue, over which apply a coat 
of crimson, orange, or yellow stain. 

To one pound of rose pink add a pint of good asphal- 
tum varnish, one pint of best brown japan, one pint of 
boiled oil, and one quart of turpentine. Add more rose 
pink if color is too dark ; if too light add more asphaltum 
and turpentine. 

Dissolve two ounces of Eosine, G, aniline and one ounce 
of Nigrosine in two quarts of boiling water; when cold 
add half pint of vinegar. 



CHAPTER III 
PIANO FINISHING 

IN the making of a piano the case enclosing the strings, 
hammers, etc., is the principal part of the whole 
work. The case is glued together, not nailed or 
screwed, and the outside is varnished. Of varnish the 
case will take over a gallon; of glue to fasten the struc- 
ture together it will require thirty pounds. Of the time 
occupied in the making of the instrument nearly one-half 
goes into the gluing and varnishing of the case, and this 
includes, of course, the time required for the drying of 
the glue and the varnish. Nearly three months are given 
to the varnishing and finishing processes alone. The 
wood must be made perfectly smooth and level, and it 
must be well filled. The highest grade of materials is 
used. The wood employed may be oak, walnut, mahog- 
any, or what not ; it may be veneered, or stained black, but 
in all cases, excepting as to the stains, the treatment is the 
same. The vegetable stains are used, as the anilines will 
not do at all. Two coats of stain are used. After stain- 
ing, two coats of paste filler are given, these being rubbed 
off in the usual manner, but are always given forty-eight 
hours for drying before sandpapering. The paste filler 
is always stained. The filling is sandpapered smooth. 
Sometimes, maybe in most cases, one coat of paste filling 
answers; of this the workman must be the judge. Then 
the rubbing varnish is applied. This varnish must be 
fine-grade, not too heavy of body, and should be applied 
when the temperature of the room is not below seventy 
deg., Fahr. From five to seven coats of this varnish are 

85 



86 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

given, with a week between each for drying, each coat 
being rubbed down with fine sandpaper. The last coat 
of rubbing varnish is rubbed down with fine pulverized 
pumicestone and water, using a felt pad for rubbing with. 
To make sure that the pumicestone powder contains no 
grit it is passed through a fine sieve of hair cloth. Onto; 
the imported pumicestone should be used, as the American 
grade is too gritty. Follow the rubbing with a washing 
off with plenty of clean water, washing out every particle 
of pumice, then wipe dry with a clean wet chamois. 

And now the job is ready for the polishing varnish, 
which is flowed on freely and brushed out level. The use 
of a very soft hair brush is necessary for this part of the 
varnishing. After the job has stood for a week it is 
rubbed with pulverized rottenstone and water, using the 
palm of the hand as a rubber, continuing this until the de- 
sired polish appears. Then it is washed off with clear 
water, dried with the chamois, and rubbed with a few 
drops of sweet oil on the palm of the hand. The oil is 
then spirited off, by means of a clean cloth made slightly 
moist with grain alcohol. As alcohol will quickly attack 
varnish it requires deft work to avoid any injury when 
spiriting off. Some finishers use cornstarch in place of 
alcohol for removing the oil, but it does not give as clean 
a surface as the alcohol does, though its use is safest in 
the hands of one not expert in spiriting off. Follow with 
a clean cotton rag. 

While a week is indicated as being the time for the 
drying of a varnish coat, yet not infrequently as many 
as ten days are given, and there is no doubt that two 
weeks would be still better. This because of the num- 
ber of coats of varnish applied, the undercoats requiring 
extra time owing to the fact that most of them are sealed 
against the air by the upper coats. Many of the worst 
troubles in the finishing room, as regards varnish, come 
from the want of perfect drying of the coats. The 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 87 

varnish must be right, too, or other trouble may ensue. 
For some purposes kauri gum is excellent, but for piano 
work only Zanzibar gum should be used in the finishing 
varnish; it is the hardest gum used in piano varnishes. 
Even when carrying the same amount of oil as a kauri 
gum varnish it will give a much harder surface, and 
hence it polishes best. Moreover, the finishing varnish 
will have to bear the brunt of wear, hence should be a 
good, hard varnish. For the best results the finisher must 
use a quick-drying, non-elastic varnish for all the coats 
but the finishing, which must be very elastic. Such a pro- 
cedure will, we believe, prevent any trouble : 

Finishing an Antique Oak Case. — To finish a dark 
oak piano case, apply a suitable water stain. Next day 
sandpaper smooth, and fill with paste filler. Rub the 
filler well into the wood with a leather pad. Let it stand 
until the twelfth day, then apply a coat of orange shellac. 
Next day sandpaper, then apply a coat of piano rubbing 
varnish. On the twenty-third day apply a coat of piano 
rubbing varnish. On the thirty-first day give it another 
coat of piano rubbing varnish. On the thirty-ninth day 
still another coat of piano rubbing varnish. On the forty- 
seventh day, another coat of rubbing. On the sixty-first 
day, scour with pulverized pumicestone and water. On 
the seventy-fifth day flow on a coat of piano polishing 
varnish. On the eighty-ninth day rub lightly with flour 
pumicestone and water. On the ninety-first day rub to a 
surface with pulverized rottenstone and water. On the 
day following this dry-polish with the palm of the hand, 
using powdered rottenstone. On the next day, oil off 
and clear up with alcohol. 

Another Piano Finishing Process. — While the piano 
case is in the cabinet shop sponge it well with clear, cold 
water ; let it dry, then sandpaper it carefully. Next, apply 
the paste filler, and rub the filler well into the wood with 
the pad. Let stand three days, then sandpaper, No. o 



88 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

paper; then apply a primer coat. On the seventh day 
sandpaper lightly with No. ooo paper, making the sur- 
face of the work perfectly smooth. Then apply a coat of 
kauri piano rubbing varnish. On the twenty-first day 
sandpaper as before, and give it another coat of the rub- 
bing varnish. On the thirtieth day rub with No. i 
powdered pumicestone and water to a surface. On the 
thirty-fourth day apply a coat of elastic Zanzibar piano 
polishing varnish. On the forty-sixth day rub lightly 
with No. o pumicestone and water. On the fiftieth day 
flow on a coat of Zanzibar polishing varnish. Sixtieth 
day, rub with powdered pumicestone and water. Sixty- 
third day, rub with rottenstone and water. Sixty-fourth 
day, dry-hand polish with refined velvet lamp-black; 
follow with washing off with clear water. 

Finishing Rosewood Case. — The process given for 
finishing antique oak cases may, with the exception of 
the stain, be used in the finishing of rosewood cases, 
whether light or dark rosewood. To do a dark rosewood 
case apply a coat of alcohol red stain, then sandpaper 
smooth and fill as directed for rosewood. Following the 
filling comes the coat of orange shellac, which is to be 
glazed over with a coat of asphaltum varnish ; after this 
point you may proceed as directed for dark oak case, be- 
ginning with process of the thirteenth day. Which see. 

Mechanical Varnishing. — Modern factories that are 
strictly up-to-date use a varnishing machine, composed of 
a rack on which several parts of a frame are placed on 
end, side by side. Each rack holding the parts of six 
pianos, the frame is placed in the machine, which slowly 
immerses it in a vat of varnish, where it is allowed to re- 
main for a brief period, when it is slowly drawn out. 
This drawing from the varnish vat is done so slowly that 
the motion is hardly perceptible to the eye, and it is so 
done that the surplus varnish flows away without streak- 
ing, coming out uniformly smooth and level. The method 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 89 

saves time, which represents money, and makes each part 
damp-proof, which is especially important in the shipping 
and exporting of these goods. The varnish preserves 
each glued part from the action of moisture. 

How to Prevent Cracking of Varnish. — Some piano 
makers refuse to ship their instruments in cold weather. 
One New England firm, making a medium grade of goods, 
but which are well finished, state that they use only air- 
dried lumber, making solid cases, and use no shellac. 
They body-up with a quick varnish, and polish on a slow 
varnish. During the two years they have been doing 
this they have not had one instance of varnish-cracking. 
To avoid the trouble the undercoats must be quick-dry- 
ing, non-elastic, and with an elastic finishing coat. They 
give less time to the drying of the under coats than to 
the finishing coat. This latter should have time enough to 
become quite hard, essential to good polishing. If, how- 
ever, insufficient time is allowed for each coat to dry there 
will be varnish-checking. It might be supposed that one 
or two weeks would suffice for drying varnish, yet to get 
it positively dry within that time it would be necessary to 
oven-dry it, as was tried unsuccessfully by one manufac- 
turer — the heat destroyed the glue. 

Trouble With Shellac Finish. — A piano finisher wrote 
me in relation to trouble he was having with his finish- 
ing. Frenchpolish surfaces, on which white shellac had 
been used, showed up milky or gray. He said : " We 
very often have this to occur shortly after the work has 
been rubbed, while again it will not show until several 
weeks after the rubbing. In nearly every case the work 
looked clear before rubbing, and even after the rubbing, 
and we have tried many ways to overcome this fault, but 
with very little satisfaction." This trouble is probably 
due to water in the white shellac. There has for years 
been trouble in finishing pianos with shellac varnish, and 
it will continue as long as shellac is used as a rubbed 



90 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

finish. Piano makers have for years been trying to find 
a remedy, but without success. It is an unsightly exuda- 
tion, and once was supposed to come from the oil used 
in the polishing, but it is now attributed to the vegetable 
wax which exists in the shellac. This wax is found to 
run from six to seven per cent., by weight, and it may be 
removed. First let us explain how the wax affects the 
finish. It combines with the oil used in the polishing and 
with it forms a soft, greasy compound that prevents the 
polish from hardening properly. It also causes the finish 
to be very sensitive to changes of temperature, and to be 
susceptible to injury from wear or use. This greasy mat- 
ter exudes from the polish after a time, causing the 
trouble the piano maker complains of. It is a sort of 
efflorescence, which greatly impairs the beauty of the 
finish. There is a process whereby the fatty matter may 
be separated from the lac by agitating a strong solution 
of alcohol shellac with fresh stick lac or seed lac, or filter- 
ing on this lac. Thereby the readily soluble resin, as well 
as slight quantities of coloring matter contained in the 
fresh lac are abstracted from it, while the more slightly 
soluble vegetable wax is separated from the solution. By 
one or more treatments of the concentrated solution of 
shellac with fresh seed lac a clear alcoholic solution free 
from wax of the shellac resins is obtained, which is not 
practicable by simultaneously dissolving the shellac and 
seed lac in a sufficient quantity of alcohol. 

Such a shellac resin solution freed from vegetable wax 
has heretofore not been employed as a furniture polish, 
neither would it be satisfactory for the purpose as it is 
too " short " and lacks in pliancy, rendering it unsuitable 
for being readily and uniformly rubbed into the wood. 
So far it would seem to indicate that we are no nearer the 
end of the trouble than we were at the beginning. But 
the chemist comes to the rescue again and tells us how 
the difficulty may be overcome. To the shellac solution 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 91 

separated from the vegetable wax, a medium is added 
which fully takes the place of the wax as regards pliancy 
and polishing qualities, without exhibiting its undesirable 
after-effects. Such a medium has been found in the es- 
sential oils, especially in oil of rosemary. 

The production of the new polish is, for instance, as 
follows : Dissolve 20 kilos of shellac and 4 kilos of 
gum benzoin in as little 95 or 96 per cent, spirit as pos- 
sible, with the addition of 1 kilo of oil of rosemary. The 
concentrated solution is now repeatedly filtered over fresh 
stick-lac until the vegetable wax contained in the solution 
is completely abstracted and the solution has become per- 
fectly clear. 

Another chemist describes the manner in which this 
fatty wax may be removed as follows. Add some 62 deg. 
benzine to the alcoholic solution of shellac, agitate well, 
then allow it to settle ; now draw off the strata of benzine 
in which the wax has dissolved, and so obtain the shellac 
solution clear and free of the objectionable wax. 



CHAPTER IV 
FRENCH POLISHING 

FRENCH polishing consists in the repeated rub- 
bing into the wood of shellac, using a rubber or 
pad that is slightly coated with raw linseed oil, 
which makes the rubbing easier. A modern method calls 
for the filling of the wood with a filler, followed by the 
shellac polishing. As shellac is affected both by cold and 
dampness the work requires a temperature of not much 
less than 70 deg. Various formulas are used, each 
adapted to some particular kind of wood, but all are based 
on the principle of rubbing shellac into the wood until it 
is filled and the surface made smooth and with a soft 
polish. It is a very beautiful and durable form of wood 
finish. Orange shellac is used, and to this any desired 
coloring may be added. 

The rubber used is made from a strip of woolen cloth, 
an inch in width, and which is rolled up like tape. Over 
this is drawn a piece of clean, soft muslin, the edges being 
drawn up on one side of the rubber and tied, thus form- 
ing a handle to hold while using the pad or rubber. This 
rubber is intended for rubbing flat surfaces. For irreg- 
ular surfaces make a rubber with some raw cotton, tied 
in a muslin, with a handle like the one for the flat rubber. 
The rubbers must be perfectly smooth on the rubbing 
surface, having neither wrinkle nor crease. 

Wood that is not perfectly straight-grained, clear, and 
solid should first be sized with thin glue size, and when 
this is dry lightly sandpaper it smooth. The filler used, in 
the modern method alluded to, is plaster of Paris mixed 

92 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 93 

with water, and coloring if desired. There are fillers 
used, but most expert finishers prefer the plaster. Be 
careful not to over-fill with the plaster, removing all sur- 
plus from the surface, and thus saving a great deal of 
sandpapering. 

Being ready to polish, remove the outer wrapping of 
the rubber, and apply a few drops of shellac on the face 
of the rubber, whether cotton wool or woolen cloth; be 
careful not to get too much on, the idea being to have 
just enough shellac on so that if lightly pressed the shellac 
will exude. If too much shellac comes out on to the sur- 
face of the work it will cause a ridgey effect, spoiling the 
work. Hence it will be seen that the process requires 
great care and skill. 

Having applied the few drops of shellac to the inner 
rubber, replace the outer covering, tie the same, to form 
the little handle, and apply a few drops of raw linseed 
oil to the face of the same, the oil making the rubbing 
easier and smoother. Begin rubbing at a certain part of 
the work and rub evenly and with light pressure, work- 
ing in a circular manner until, gradually, you reach the op- 
posite part of the work. Occasionally apply a drop or 
two of oil to the rubber. Once you start rubbing keep 
the rubber in motion until you reach the end of the work. 
And even then you must not stop abruptly, but gently 
slide the rubber off the work, and so leave no ridge or 
other mark, to remove which would involve considerable 
time and labor. This is very important. And do not al- 
low your rubber to become dry as you rub, but remove 
the cover and apply a little shellac to the inner pad. 
After you have rubbed in several coats, and a soft luster 
begins to appear, a dry rubber will do no harm. In fact, 
the dry rubber is used then by preference. Each time 
that you apply shellac to the pad squeeze a little of it out 
in the palm of the hand, working the pad a little in it, 
and so equalizing the shellac in the pad. If the muslin 



94 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

covering should become shiny, shift it and use a fresh 
part of the muslin. 

In case you should be unfortunate enough to have 
rubber marks to appear on the surface of your work, 
remove them by rubbing with the wet rubber, but begin- 
ning at the point where you left off at and working in 
the reverse direction. It is best to use in any case long 
strokes, rather than short, jergy strokes. Some rub 
lengthwise of the work, then in a circular manner. Do 
not place too much pressure on the rubber, nor rub too 
long in one place. Place the shellac in a saucer, if you 
wish, though a bottle is better. In rubbing out rubber 
marks use a half-dry rubber, and bear on with somewhat 
greater pressure than when rubbing at first. 

If you have a large surface to polish, say a table top, 
polish but one-half the surface at a time. Leaves or 
boards of tables may be done one at a time. After rub- 
bing in the whole surface, with the circular motion, go all 
over it again, this time rubbing straight with the grain 
of the wood. Rub a few times only, this in order to re- 
move the temporary rubber marks of the first rubbing. 
In the beginning rub with a very light pressure, but in- 
creasing the pressure as the rubber becomes drier. When 
the polish looks rough or scratched it must be 
treated by gentle rubbing with very fine sandpaper, but be 
sure the polish is quite hard before you do this. Do not 
try to remove roughness by hard rubbing nor by rubbing 
repeatedly in the one place. Rubbing too much in one 
place will result in the softening of the whole body of the 
polish, causing it to either rub up or rub into ridges. If 
there is too much shellac on the rubber the alcohol in it 
will mar the polish. If your room is too cold or damp, 
the effect will be a milky surface, to remedy which take 
the work near a fire and let the heat act upon it until the 
milky effect disappears. 

Apply but one coat of polish a day, but rub in coats 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 95 

enough to form at last a film of shellac on the surface 
of the work, which will show that the pores of the wood 
have been filled. If then the work shows a uniformly- 
even surface it may be " spirited off." This is done with 
alcohol and the rubber that the polishing was done with. 
Some finishers use clear alcohol from the start, while 
others prefer to add alcohol to shellac, reducing the 
amount of shellac until there is only the clear alcohol on 
the rubber. This operation requires much care, as the 
alcohol easily injures the polish. Pass the rubber, 
dampened with alcohol, lightly and quickly over the pol- 
ished surface of the work, being careful not to use too 
much alcohol, and to use it sparingly and with constant 
care. This spiriting off removes the oil left on the polish, 
and which if not removed would mar the surface by dim- 
ness or cloudiness. After the spiriting-off the polish will 
appear bright and beautiful — or ought to, and will if the 
work has been done properly. 

In spiriting-off use a new pad, a rubber made from three 
or four folds of clean muslin over a pad of raw cotton ; 
cheesecloth is preferred by some. These coverings may 
be removed, one by one, as they become dry, the inner 
pad holding the alcohol. Rub with a circular movement. 
Some finishers think that the alcohol is made the better 
for the spiriting-off process by allowing it to stand open to 
the air for an hour or two. It is also thought that allow- 
ing the polished work to stand two or more hours be- 
fore spiriting-off will give a better or clearer polish. As 
to the alcohol being exposed, the result would be that it 
would absorb a certain amount of water from the air, 
weakening it to that extent ; the same result would follow 
by adding some water to it, and water would be a very un- 
desirable liquid to apply at that stage of the work. Per- 
haps the alcohol by exposure loses some of its volatile 
spirit, and in that way becomes less dangerous to the 
polish. At any rate, all such matters must be left for the 



96 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

experimenter. Although we must not despise the many 
little ideas that workmen have about their work, for many 
improvements in methods have come just that way, by ex- 
periments and accidents. 

An inexpensive method of French polishing black 
work may be described in this connection : Japan drop 
black is beaten up to a paste and to a half -pint a table- 
spoonful of rubbing varnish is added and well mixed with 
it; the mass is then thinned with turpentine or benzine. 
Several coats of the black are applied to the wood, mak- 
ing each coat smooth, and when all is dry enough a coat 
of good furniture varnish is applied, and this rubbed to 
a polish with rottenstone and sweet oil. 

While orange shellac is mostly used in French polish- 
ing, yet for light woods it is found necessary to use white 
or bleached shellac, which may be colored if color is de- 
sired. A very pale shellac, called lemon, may be used 
for certain kinds of wood or finish. 

To save spiriting-off some finishers apply a glaze to the 
finish, which forces a gloss or polish, rendering the re- 
moval of the oil unnecessary. This glaze is made from 
gum benzoin dissolved in alcohol ; exposing the alcohol 
for a time to the air is thought to improve it. 

While shellac is the substance used in " bodying up " 
for French polishing, yet there are others that also may be 
used, or used in connection with shellac. Thus, iy 2 oz. 
shellac and ^4 oz - sandarach, dissolved in 1/2 pint of alco- 
hol. Such gums as mastic and tragacanth also may be 
used. 

So also the spiriting-off may be done with other than 
clear alcohol, as has already been described. Thus, in 
y 2 pint of ninety per cent, alcohol place two drams of 
shellac and the same quantity of benzoin; place in a 
bottle, which shake occasionally. Stopper tight. When 
the gums have dissolved add two teaspoonfuls of clear 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 97 

white poppyseed oil, shake well, and the mixture is ready 
for use. This is a form of glaze, previously mentioned. 

VARIOUS POLISH FORMULA. 

Polish for Turners' Work. — Shred an ounce of pure 
beeswax and mix with turpentine, just enough to make a 
stiff paste. Dissolve an ounce of sandarach in one-half 
pint of alcohol. Add the latter very gradually to the wax. 
Use a soft woolen rag and apply the polish to the object 
as it turns in the lathe. The polishing is done with a 
piece of soft old linen. A very high degree of polish 
may be obtained by this method. 

Polish to Stand Water. — Place in a stoppered bottle 
a pint of grain alcohol, 2 oz. gum benzoin, %. oz. gum 
sandarach, and %. oz. gum anime. Dissolve by placing 
bottle in hot water, or in a sand bath. Then add about 
%. gill of the best clear poppy oil, shake well, then put 
away for use. 

Ebony Polish. — Add %. oz. best dry ivory drop black 
to about J / 2 gill of shellac varnish. Use a drop or two 
of the black polish on the inside pad of the rubber. In 
this case use two muslin covers over the pad. 

Polish for Fine Cabinet Work. — Mix together and 
shake well, 4 oz. each of alcohol, vinegar, and turpentine, 
16 oz. of raw linseed oil and 1 oz. of butter of antimony. 

Polish for Dark Woodwork. — Pulverize fine a dram 
of gum elemi and y 2 oz. shellac ; dissolve in a mixture of 
2 l / 2 oz. 90 per cent, alcohol and a dram of almond oil; 
place in bottle and when all is dissolved it is ready for use. 

Or, orange shellac 2 oz., alcohol z / 2 pint, and benzoin 2 
drams. Mix, keep in stoppered bottle, and keep in a warm 
place for a week, shaking occasionally to prevent settling. 
To use, first oil the wood with raw linseed oil, rubbing it 
well into the wood, after which wipe dry with a clean 



98 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

muslin rag, then rub to a polish in the usual Frenchpolish- 
ing manner. 

Polish for Carved Work. — In a pint of 90 per cent, 
alcohol dissolve 2 oz. each of seed lac and white rosin. 
Carved parts and pillars of cabinet work must first be 
coated with copal varnish, which is then made smooth with 
fine sandpaper; then the polish may be applied. Use a 
bristle brush in applying the polish to carved parts and 
standards. Better results follow if the polish and object 
to be polished are both warm, but the polish should be 
warm at any rate. 

Polishing Walnut. — Black walnut is to be made 
smooth and clean, and the polish is to be applied to the 
bare wood, the finish giving all the appearance of a rich 
old walnut. First apply a very thin coat of brown shellac, 
and at once rub with a piece of smooth fine pumicestone 
until dry. Then apply another coat of shellac, and rub 
as before. Then it will be ready for the polish, which is 
prepared as follows : Mix together raw oil and turpen- 
tine, equal parts, and beeswax to form a paste. Apply 
by means of the usual rubber. If the surface of the wood 
is not smooth enough after the rubbing with shellac and 
pumicestone, rub it with fine sandpaper until it is smooth, 
then rub with polish again. 

Varnish Polish. — Boiled oil 1 pint, turpentine 1 pint, 
vinegar Y\ pint, grain alcohol y 2 pint, and butter of anti- 
mony y 2 oz. Place in bottle and shake well. 

Polish for Hardwood. — Crude petroleum oil is very 
good, but the addition of a gill of alcohol to the quart of 
crude oil will improve it. Excellent for cleaning up new 
but dirty furniture, pews, etc., after removal from factory 
to place of using. 

Polish for Papier-Mache. — The polish advised for fine 
cabinet work may be used on papier-mache ; apply it with 
a woolen rubber, using gentle pressure until the desired 
polish appears. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 99 

White Polish for Light Woods. — Dissolve 6 oz. white 
shellac in a quart of alcohol, and add 2 oz. white gum 
benzoin and 1 oz. gum sandarach. 

Useful Polish for Dark Furniture. — To a pint of raw 
linseed oil add an ounce each of rose pink and alkanet root, 
beaten up in a metal mortar. Allow the mixture to stand 
two days, then pour off the oil, which will form a rich 
liquid polish. 

Piano Polishes. — Raw linseed oil 32 oz., solution of 
antimony chloride 2 oz., and 8 oz. each of dilute acetic 
acid, turpentine, and alcohol. 

Raw linseed oil 40 oz., alcohol 4 oz., dilute acetic acid 
16 oz., solution of ammonium chloride 2 oz., spirits of 
camphor 1 oz. Add first to the oil the antimony solution, 
then the camphor and acid, and finally add the ammonium 
chloride to the oil, shaking after each addition. 

Alcohol 10 oz., raw linseed oil 10 oz., dilute acetic acid 
5 oz., nitric acid 4 oz. ; mix and shake until dissolved. 



CHAPTER V 

THE GERMAN ACID METHOD 
OF FINISHING 

THOSE who have the privilege of handling high- 
class cabinet furniture of foreign manufacture 
are not long in noting that each country's goods 
have some distinctive features about them that differ from 
those of others. Not only is this so as regards design and 
general construction, but there is something about the 
finish that is very noticeable. Probably this is chiefly 
due to climatic influences. From this cause alone a style 
of finish that gives excellent wearing results in one part 
of the world would be a dismal failure in another. 

The cabinet furniture goods of France and England 
most nearly approximate to each other as regards their 
finish, mainly due to the fact that England, perhaps more 
so than any other country, has adopted the style of finish 
that originated in France. Hence we have the term, 
" French polish." For a very long time the Germans 
adopted the same method, with this difference: that on 
high-class goods that would stand the cost of labor they 
used pumicestone powder very freely in the early stages 
of the work, thereby gaining a perfectly level finish, much 
thinner in body than that generally seen on English-made 
goods ; and as they had the advantage of using a much 
purer spirit for dissolving the gums, one might reasonably 
suppose that their work would be vastly superior as 
regards its wearing qualities, as well as in excellence of 
workmanship. 

100 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 101 

That this was not so is due not so much to the method 
of its application, for no doubt all three countries adopted 
practically the same method and approximately the same 
class of materials. 

Unfortunately, in the distribution of the polish solution 
— as made from shellac and, in some cases, a small per- 
centage of other gums, dissolved in alcohol — it is nec- 
essary to use a small quantity of oil to aid in its even 
distribution and easy working, and it is this use of oil 
before applying polish and with it, that creates a lot of 
trouble. There is always a tendency on the part of work- 
men to use a trifle more than is absolutely necessary. 

Some gums work much more sticky than others, and 
while one brand of spirit may work very mild and not 
require much oil, another brand may work up hot or dry 
too rapidly to enable the work to clear out bright without 
using an excess of oil. Recognizing this, some workers 
use poppy oil instead of linseed oil, with a decided ad- 
vantage. But whichever kind of oil may be used, it often 
happens that there is sufficient left behind, either lying 
underneath the polish or incorporated with it, that in time 
works out again to the surface, creating what is called 
" sweating." In most cases, as it works its way out, 
it breaks up the film of shellac into a cobwebby form and 
presents a cracked appearance, which, if not cleared off 
at once, becomes hard, in the form of minute ridges, to 
which dust clings and dusters drag when attempting to 
clean the surface. 

While this oozing out of the oil is going on, the same 
atmospheric influences that cause it often create another 
trouble. It only requires a slight heat, prolonged for a 
few days, to soften up the shellac used as a polish. As it 
softens up again it sinks into the wood, on some woods 
to the extent of forcing the grain-filler out, so giving the 
work an unfinished appearance, as if it had not been com- 
pleted, or at least done by an inexperienced workman. 



102 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

This is especially noticeable on goods that are faced with 
very thin veneers. 

Even by the use of a superior class of spirits the Ger- 
mans were not free from these troubles, but were the first 
to seek out some means whereby the action of the oil could 
be overcome. This was to a great extent accomplished 
by what is known as " vitriol finish." This, in its way, 
was a grand achievement, but it only accomplished half 
what was required; it made no provision for the sinking 
in and loss of gloss caused by a heat wave, or the over- 
heating of rooms by gas or fires, nor did it prevent the 
perishing of shellac polish likely to be caused by excessive 
dampness. Recognizing this, the Germans went a step 
farther, and on high-class goods abandoned the shellac 
finish in favor of one brought up by successive coatings of 
copal varnish, each coat allowed to thoroughly harden, to 
enable it to be ground down to a dead level with felt pads, 
pumice powder, and water. When this had been done 
some four or five times, French polishing in the strict ac- 
ceptation of the term commences, the dull surface being 
worked upon with a polish made from bleached shellac, 
using a trifle more oil than is the usual practice when the 
whole of the work is being done with French polish. 
Thus we have what is sometimes called a " polish on var- 
nish finish." 

There is, however, this difference: the application of 
polish is not carried out to its fullest extent; that is, the 
final luster is not brought up by means of spirits only. 
The polishing is proceeded with to a stage when it is just 
ready for clearing out the oil and bringing up the luster 
with spirits. Instead of using this, the work is pounced 
rather liberally with precipitated chalk. Then having at 
hand a suitable vessel containing sulphuric acid diluted 
with about ten parts of water, the operator dips the palm 
of his perfectly clean hand into the acid solution and 
proceeds to rub the chalk with a circular motion, applying 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 103 

sufficient of the acid so that the chalk becomes a creamy 
paste, then continues with the rubbing, using his finger 
tips to get it well into the corners and moldings, until 
the chalk dries off in a fine powder again. The effect of 
this is that the final luster is brought up by what might be 
called " hand-polishing " ; the acid has the property of 
hardening the polish film of shellac, while the chalk brings 
away any oil that may be on the surface, and also acts as 
a polisher. 

Those who may care to try this method of finishing 
their handiwork, yet hesitate to use the acid by their bare 
hands, may be interested to know that an efficient sub- 
stitute will be found in the use of a soft quality of chamois 
leather. 

From the foregoing it will readily be seen that the main 
principle of this process lies in the fact that only a small 
proportion of shellac likely to soften up is used, and the 
successive applications of varnish build up a surface first 
which prevents the possibility of any oil sinking into the 
wood to create a " sweating." 

It has also brought about a revolution in the method of 
imparting color or staining. All this must be done before 
varnish is applied, otherwise it would rub off again, 
especially along the edges, when grinding down with 
pumice, while if color is used in the French polish on the 
top of the varnish it may soon be found that the acid has 
a bleaching action on aniline dye colors unless the acid is 
cleared off exceptionally dry. 



CHAPTER VI 
FINISHING VENEERED WORK 

VENEER is simply a very thin sheet of hard wood ; 
the staining and varnishing are the same as for 
hardwoods, only that as the veneer is thin and 
glued to a body of other wood the treatment must be 
varied and care must be taken that the glue is not affected 
by water staining, if that is used. Trouble is sometimes 
experienced with veneer grain showing up after finishing. 
First it is well to understand about the character of 
veneers ; some is sliced, some is quarter-sawed, and still 
other plain rotary cut. Rotary-cut veneer, under proper 
treatment, finishes up practically the same as solid plain- 
sawed stock. Identical treatment should produce the 
same result in both cases. Ordinarily the raising of the 
grain of the wood after finishing is due to the wood not 
being dry when it is finished, either when finished at the 
machine or in the hands of the wood finisher. Take a 
job of solid wood, for example, and let the stock be put 
through the planer and sander before it is perfectly dry, 
and after it is finished with stain and varnish it is very apt 
to " grain out." Some of the grain of the wood shrinks 
away, leaving the rest of the surface to stand as if raised. 
Hence, if built up panels are sanded immediately after 
gluing and before all the moisture from the glue has 
dried out there will be a raising of the grain. Another 
probable cause of graining-out may be found in the use 
of veneer that had been too loosely cut, or it might come 
from the using of rotary-cut veneer with the wrong side 
out. Where the blocks have been properly boiled and the 

104 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 105 

pressure bar well fitted and carefully adjusted rotary-cut 
veneer is tight and smooth on the outside as it peels from 
the log, and is rather stiff to bend, as compared with 
loosely-cut stock, where the pressure bar is not doing its 
duty, or where the logs have not been properly boiled or 
steamed. Some veneer manufacturers indeed cut veneer 
1-16 inch to % inch that is so tight and firm that it is 
rather difficult to tell the inside from the outside. On 
the other hand, there are those who cut it loosely, either 
from ignorance or carelessness, making a veneer that is 
simply a sheet of splinters held together by interlocking 
fibers. Veneer of this sort, as also veneer cut fairly tight 
but put on inside out is very likely to show up bad in the 
finish. Or an excess of sanding on the face of a finished 
panel may cut away so much of the wood of the top layer 
as to leave only what is practically the inside of the 
veneer, and is not as tightly cut as the outside. 

Polishing Veneered Work. — After scraping up the 
wood, apply a coat of size for stopping up the grain, let 
it dry, then apply whatever stain you wish, and finally 
proceed to polish it. Do not use too much oil. The 
polishing is the same for all hardwoods, but for a stopping 
a size is used for dark wood, and plaster of Paris for 
light. Lime is good for staining Honduras mahogany, 
chestnut, etc. 

Protecting Inlay Work or Marquetry. — Where inlay 
or marquetry work is used in connection with hardwood 
work it is difficult to avoid injuring the former in the 
filling or staining of the latter. Such work is usually 
seen in passenger cars, though less in evidence now than 
formerly. It used to be protected with shellac, but a 
better way is to add a little glycerine to glue and coat with 
that. The proportions of the two ingredients must be 
made to suit the temperature. Ordinarily this size may 
be taken off by means of a wet rag. Should it be rather 
difficult to do this, then use a scraper, which must be 



106 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

managed very carefully if you would avoid scratching 
the wood. If the glue and glycerine mixture should 
prove difficult to remove, how much more so would be 
shellac. A workman in the Pullman shops gives this 
method : " After filling the woodwork clean up the inlay 
and marquetry with benzine and No. o sandpaper. I 
never have any difficulty in cleaning up such work, but 
I never pencil on shellac. We use satinwood exclusively 
for inlay and marquetry work, because in this wood there 
is no grain for the stain or filling to affect." 

Waterproof Polish for Veneered Work. — This is an 
old and tedious formula, but is said to give fine results on 
small objects. Take raw linseed oil i 1 /, lbs., amber I lb., 
litharge 5 oz., dry white lead 5 oz., and dry red lead 5 oz. 
Boil the oil in a copper vessel, and suspend the leads in a 
small bag in the boiling oil, so that the bag will not touch 
the bottom of the kettle. When the oil has assumed a 
rich dark brown color take out the bag and put in a clove 
of garlic; repeat this six or seven times, continuing the 
boiling. The amber is to be fused or melted in two 
ounces of the oil before being added to the oil in the kettle. 
Then boiling is to be continued for a few minutes longer. 
Then filter, let it become cold, then bottle for use. Four 
coats of this polish are applied, each coat drying before 
another is applied. Rub each coat. With the last coat 
dry the object should be placed in a drying oven, and 
after removal it is polished by rubbing with a dry cloth, 
or in any desired manner to produce a fine polish. 

VARNISH STAINS. 

Varnish stain is simply a varnish stained more or less 
with one or more pigments. Such stained varnish is 
seldom used on architectural work or furniture, but is 
used chiefly in household practice, manufacturers putting 
up stains for this special purpose, and in various sizes of 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 107 

containers. A great deal of these household goods are 
shellac stains, selling under various names, and with many 
more or less exaggerated claims. Such stained finishes 
may be prepared by simply adding any desired aniline dye 
to shellac varnish. The shellac is of course durable, but 
the coloring is not light-proof, hence not durable. The 
addition of a small amount of gum elemi will make such 
stained varnishes less brittle, and perhaps some of the 
household varieties contain this gum. The objection to 
the elemi is that it retards drying, even in small amount, 
while in excess it will cause stickiness. However, if 
exactly the right amount is added it will effect its object 
and not seriously affect the varnish. 

There is also a liquid filler that is stained, and this may 
also be classed as a varnish stain, something between a 
varnish and an oil stain. It is a very quick-setting and 
brittle filling, and is lacking in easy working quality, which 
is so essential to good surfacing, and spreading and blend- 
ing. It is used mainly on soft woods and on cheap work. 
Being a copal varnish, so-called, for it may contain not a 
little rosin, any oil pigment will mix with it, and the best 
are the fine graining colors. The addition of some raw 
oil, say about a fourth of the amount of varnish, will 
retard the setting and allow freer flowing. A stained 
filler should be applied thinner than when used with- 
out the stain in it, to admit of uniform covering and 
no laps. The following formulas are from a factory 
source : 

Walnut Varnish Stain. — Dry burnt Turkey umber 
ioo lbs., raw linseed oil 12 gals., mix, and grind fine in a 
mill. Then add 5 gals, furniture varnish and 20 gals, of 
a strong drier in the mixing tank. Makes about 40 gals. 
of varnish. 

Oak Varnish Stain. — Raw Italian sienna 100 lbs., with 
same amount of thinning, etc., as for the walnut stained 
varnish. 



108 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Cherry Varnish Stain. — ioo lbs. burnt Italian sienna, 
and thinning, etc., same as for walnut. 

Ebony Varnish Stain. — ioo lbs. ivory drop black, with 
same thinners, etc., as for walnut. 

The following formula is not from the factory : 

Satinwood Varnish Stain. — Dissolve i lb. shellac (in 
scales), 8 oz. rosin, 2 oz. gum benzoin, and 2 oz. glue in 
Yz gal. alcohol ; afterwards adding 8 oz. turmeric, or suf- 
ficient aniline yellow to color. Strain before using and 
apply with a camel hair brush. 



CHAPTER VII 

STAINING WICKERWARE AND 
WILLOW FURNITURE 

THE wood must first of all be mordanted with lime 
water, this being prepared by slaking fresh 
quicklime with water enough to cause it to fall to 
pieces, and to powder, and to a pint of this fine powder 
add from fifteen to twenty pints of water ; allow the lime 
to settle from the water, after having thoroughly stirred 
the two together, then pour off the clear liquid for use. 
The willow ware manufacturer takes the willows and 
steeps them in the limewater for several hours, after 
which they are dried with a heat up to ioo deg. After 
the drying, and before they become cold, they are steeped 
in a fluid stain, brown stain being most used, although 
many other colors also are used. The following formulas 
are from an English source: 

Brown Stain. — Dissolve an ounce of permanganate of 
potash in five pints of water, dip the willow into the fluid, 
lift out at once, and allow the object to drain off. This 
will give a pale brown, but by allowing more time for the 
stain to act various dark tones may be obtained. 

Or, dissolve \ Y /z oz. of potash in 5 pints of water and 
steep the wickerware in the fluid for two hours, then 
boil them for two hours in a boiling hot solution of 
pyrogallic acid, made by dissolving 2^ oz. of this acid 
in 5 pints of water. 

Or, dissolve 3^2 oz. of catechu and \y 2 oz. soda crys- 
tals in 5 pints of water by boiling, and steep the wicker- 
ware in the fluid for three or four hours, then dry them, 

109 



110 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

and afterwards steep them for one hour in a solution 
of 5 oz. bichromate of potash in 5 pints of water. 

Blue. — Dissolve 2 oz. indigo carmine in a quart of 
water and soak the wickerware in the fluid for 5 or 6 
hours. 

Green. — Dissolve 2 oz. indigo sulphate and 1 oz. picric 
acid in 50 oz. boiling water; steep the wickerware in the 
fluid for several hours. Different tones of green are 
obtained by altering the relative proportions of the color- 
ing matters. 

Yellow. — Dissolve an ounce of picric acid in 5 quarts 
of boiling water, and steep the wickerware in it two hours. 

All the foregoing bright colors are to be obtained only 
on fresh, clean stock, the wood being white. But if you 
have old work to stain it will have to be done with a stain 
that is somewhat darker than the original stain. Brown 
or black are best. Either of the two following formulas 
will answer the purpose. First wash the object to free 
it from all grime and dirt. 

Staining Old Wickerware. — Dissolve iy 2 lbs. of 
aniline nitrate and 1 oz. of chloride of copper in 9^2 gals, 
of water : Boil the wickerware in the fluid for one hour, 
then place it in a boiling hot solution of bichromate of 
potash for a half -hour, using 8^2 oz. bichromate to the 
gallon of water. Or this : Boil 25 oz. of logwood 
extract in 12^ pints of water containing 1-5 oz. alum. 
Filter or strain the fluid, and steep the wicker in it for 
from two to six hours. Keep the liquid at the boiling 
point all the time, then remove the wickerware and dry 
it, then steep it in a boiling hot solution of iron sulphate 
15 oz. in yy 2 pints of water for from two to four hours. 
This gives a more or less bluish-black with a gray cast, 
but by steeping it in a decoction of 13 oz. copper sulphate 
in 1%. gals, water a deeper black will result. 

Gray. — In the case of new wickerware it will be found 
that by coloring it a gray tone dirt and grime will not 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 111 

show so readily as with the unstained wood. A good 
gray tone may be obtained by dissolving 45 oz. iron sul- 
phate in 7^2 pints of cold water, steeping the wicker in it 
for from two to six hours, and then, after drying, steep in 
a solution of 1^ lbs. pyrogallic acid in 5 pints of water. 

The Aniline Colors. — The aniline dyes are much more 
effective than the foregoing mineral or chemical colors, 
as the anilines need no steeping, dyeing the wood at once. 
In fact, the staining liquid may be applied with a brush or 
sponge. Certainly for very bright colors the anilines are 
to be chosen. The wood should be mordanted with a 
solution of 6 oz. Marseilles soap in 12^2 pints of water, 
soaking the wood in this and then drying it before apply- 
ing the coloring. Anilines that dissolve in water are to 
be used, water of from 86 to 140 deg. being right. Stir 
the liquid well and then steep the ware in it until the 
depth of color is as you may desire. As the dye liquor 
becomes exhausted it should be strengthened by the 
addition of some freshly made dye solution. A very 
small amount of aniline will do. 

Blue. — 1. Dark. Dissolve 3 oz. Bengal blue in 3^2 
pints boiling water, and stir and filter the fluid in ten 
minutes' time. 

2. Light. Dissolve 3 oz. bleu de lumiere in y 2 gal. 
boiling water. 

3. Sky Blue. Dissolve 3 oz. bleu de ceil in y 2 gal. of 
boiling water. 

4. Greenish Blue. Dissolve 3 oz. bleu de vert in y 2 gal. 
boiling water. 

Green. Dark; Dissolve 3 oz. methyl green and y 2 oz. 
bleu de lumiere in y 2 gal. of hot water. Light : Dissolve 
1 oz. of methyl green in a pint of boiling water. 

Red. Dissolve 3 oz. coral red in 5 pints of water. 

Dark Red. Dissolve 3 oz. f uchsine and 1 oz. of orange 
in 3 pints of water. 

Rose Red. Dissolve 3 oz. rose Bengal in 5 pints water. 



112 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Violet. Dissolve 3 oz. methyl violet in y 2 gal. water. 

Reddish Violet. Dissolve 3 oz. methyl violet and 1 oz. 
fuchsine in 3^ gal. of water. 

Golden Yellow. Dissolve 3 oz. naphthaline yellow in 
y 2 gal. of water. 

Brown. Dissolve 3 oz. of Bismarck brown in ^2 gal. 
water. 

Chestnut Brown. Dissolve 1 oz. of maroon in a pint 
of water. 

The list given includes only a few of the many colors 
that may be used, but they indicate the possibilities. The 
quantities specified produce a very concentrated stain, and 
if more were used the result would be a bronzing of the 
color. The formulas given are for strong solutions ; they 
may be reduced with water to suit the work in hand. As 
the stain is used by successive dippings of the wickerware 
it must be strengthened from time to time with fresh dye. 

The dyed wickerware is finished with a coat of lacquer, 
made and used as follows : First the article is dipped in 
a size of thin, hot glue or gelatin water, then it is allowed 
to dry. This closes the pores and gives a good surfacing 
for the lacquer. For white goods use the white or 
bleached shellac ; for dark goods use a mixture of the 
white and orange shellac ; some use a copal varnish in- 
stead, but lacquer is better, being more flexible and hence 
less apt to crack. For black work dark shellac is used. 

Staining Willow Ware Furniture. — The stain will 
take more uniformly if the article is mordanted with this 
mixture : Take 9 oz. chloride of lime and 1 oz. soda 
crystals in 5 pints of water. Apply several coats of this 
mordant, allowing each coat to dry before applying the 
next one. Then apply a weak solution of sulphuric acid 
in water, and rinse at once in clear water. Let dry. Use 
alcohol aniline stain, as it will penetrate better than oil or 
water stain. But if water stain is used, apply it hot. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 



113 



It requires experience to stain wicker successfully, 
hence if not successful at first, remember this. 



EQUIVALENTS OF WATER COLORS IN ANILINE 
DYES. 



Water Colors 
Sap Green 
Emerald Green 
Scarlet 
Violet 

Burnt Sienna 
Ultramarine 
Sky Blue 
Lemon Yellow 
Golden Yellow 
Magenta 

Cadmium Orange 
Crimson Lake 



Aniline Colors 
Naphthol Green 
Emerald and Malachite green 
Eosin and Biebrich Scarlet 
Methyl Violet and Gallein 
Bismarck Brown 
Cotton Blue, Alkali Blue 
Methylene Blue 
Picric Acid 
Naphthol Yellow 
Magenta 

Phosphine, Aurantia 
Congo Red. 



CHAPTER VIII 
FINISHING NEW FURNITURE 

FURNITURE finishing may be said to consist of 
three forms, as follows : The flowed or gloss 
finish, the wood being well filled with filler, and 
bodied up with varnish, resulting in a surface as uniform 
and smooth as plate glass. Rubbing is done with pumice- 
stone and water, oil not being used because oil-rubbing 
would fail to give the right surface for varnish. The 
varnish is flowed on and allowed to stand until dry. 
Next comes the rubbed finish, to affect which several 
ways are in use. Several coats of varnish are given, 
with due time between each for drying, the coats are 
rubbed to remove gloss, the last coat being rubbed with 
pumicestone powder and oil to form a good surface. The 
grade of pumice used determines the finish, the finer the 
pumice the finer the dead-luster. Finally comes the pol- 
ished finish. After the surface has been made fit as 
described in the first process, it is rubbed with flour 
pumicestone and water, as water cuts faster than oil and 
is easier to clean up. Grit gets into corners, etc., and is 
very difficult to get out, more so when oil is used. After 
rubbing with water and pumice and cleaning up, the sur- 
face is rubbed with powdered rottenstone and water, 
which removes the very fine scratches left by the rubbing 
with pumice. Then it is the custom in the best finishing 
rooms to take some polish and waste and rub the surface 
briskly, which causes a slight polish to appear. Next a 
large piece of muslin is wrung out in water, dampened 
with a little alcohol, and the work is quickly " spirited 

114 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 115 

off." This removes every vestige of cloudiness left by 
the polish. It is the saying in the finishing room that the 
best rubbing pad is the human hand. This is done on 
some of the better grades of work, a little polish being 
placed in the palm of the hand and the workman proceeds 
to rub the work in a certain skillful manner. This is 
known as hand-polishing, and it is continued until all 
marks made by the former rubbing are entirely ob- 
literated. 

Rubbing requires considerable skill, born of long 
experience, and no description of the art would suffice to 
make a competent workman, although it will help him. 
It is very important that the varnish be not rubbed too 
much, for it is easy to cut through and spoil the work. 

Too close rubbing will cause the varnish to sweat, and 
the varnish will likely be blamed for this. Should this 
occur, then wait a day or two before rubbing to a finish. 
If the oil is allowed too long on the work it will soften 
the varnish, which will rub off in spots, more particularly 
when rubbing with oil than with water. Allow at least 
two days for drying before rubbing, and three days would 
be better than two. Try the surface with the finger nail, 
and if it easily dents it is too soft for rubbing. If you 
use oil in the rubbing, be quick, and don't allow the oil to 
remain on longer than necessary. Some finishers prefer 
crude oil for rubbing with, rather than water or other oil. 
Some use coal oil. In any case, where oil is used the 
work must be cleaned up with benzine and a rag. Wipe 
dry with a clean rag. It is thought by some that coal 
oil cuts faster even than water. 

Never rub across the grain of the wood, for it will 
cause scratching. Don't bear on heavily, at start or 
finish, or you will get the ends worn too smooth ; bear on 
gently and with even pressure all the way through. 
Never rub the varnish until it is perfectly dry, for that 
will cause sweating when you come to rub it again. 



116 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Stained work should always be rubbed the way of the 
grain, never across it nor in a circular manner, for that 
would cause the marks to show at the finish. This is 
particularly true as regards water-stained work. If the 
filler has been stained to match the wood it helps the 
solidity of the work. The amateur will think that the 
more pumicestone he uses the faster his rubbing will cut, 
but that is not so. Use only enough pumice, which is 
very little. Rub in a rotary manner, evenly, from one 
end of the work to the other, and once in a while try the 
surface with your thumb, to note progress of the cutting 
process. 

A pad of felt about three by five inches may be used as 
the rubbing pad, but for irregular surfaces prepare a 
piece of wood to conform to the work, and glue a piece of 
felt to it ; for water rubbing cement it with shellac. For 
rubbing with, first dip the rubber in the liquid you are 
to rub with, then dip into the pumice. For moldings and 
carved work roll up some haircloth until it is about ^4 
inch thick, then unravel the ends, making a sort of brush. 

It is handy to have a box made to hold the liquid and 
powder. Take a piece of board about 15 inches long, 
about 8 inches wide, and sides 5 inches high, with only 
one end covered, the sides being made to slant or taper 
down towards the open end. Take a two-pound color 
can and put into it equal parts of crude oil and benzine; 
in another and shallower vessel place the pumicestone, or 
place it on the bottom of the long box. 

Finishing Cheap New Furniture. — Owing to compe- 
tition the maker of the cheaper grades of furniture has 
reduced the finishing cost to the minimum. Of course 
it is easy enough to get out nice looking cheaply finished 
goods, but unless the finish has durability the maker will 
find himself on the blue list. But whatever else he may 
do to lessen cost of finish he must not cut down on the 
filling, for this is the foundation, on which must stand 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 117 

or fall the whole finish. Nor can he put cheap, inex- 
perienced labor on the filling, for it will not pay; a skillful 
workman will do twice the amount of work in a day that 
an inexpert workman will do, and the work will also be 
done right. Hence it would seem that in the matter of 
cutting down expense here in the filling he can hardly go 
any further. The work must be done well and quickly. 

It goes without the saying that only the straight grain 
oak goes into cheap grade furniture. For the filling take 
from 12 to 14 pounds of paste filler to the gallon of thin- 
ners. Allow the filling to stand until it turns gray. 
Right here is where most filling trouble comes in, the filler 
is rubbed off too soon, it does not have time enough to 
settle down into the pores of the wood. To wipe off 
while green or wet is easier than the same operation after 
the filler has become partly dry, or gray. Then too the 
filler is not always rubbed well into the wood. Excelsior 
and shavings are too coarse for rubbing off with, noth- 
ing being better than tow. Excelsior will take it off in 
streaks, while tow will gather the filler as you rub and 
form a good pad. 

After rubbing out the filler let the work stand from 
24 to 48 hours, then sandpaper lightly, using paper that 
is partly worn, or soft, so that it will not cut the corners, 
etc. On cheap work it is not often the filler gets sand- 
papered, but just a little rub will take off any grit, etc., 
and make a very much better surface, and at the expend- 
iture of little time or cost. 

Let us suppose that the job has left the filling room 
in good condition. Now we will first-coat it, a very 
important matter. This should be a sur facer with a good 
mineral base, silex. Such a surfacer or first-coater makes 
a hard, firm surface, one impervious to varnish, so that 
the varnish is held out well. Such a surfacer is easily 
applied, easy to sandpaper, and covers well. As the sur- 
facer is capable of covering well it makes a very econom- 



118 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

ical coating. After it has become quite dry it may have 
a heavy coat of rubbing or coach varnish. 

Furniture Varnishes. — Some of the furniture finish- 
ing varnishes contain three times as much oil as gum, and 
while such a varnish is very durable, it never becomes 
quite hard enough for furniture, being likely to become 
tacky when subject to warmth or long continued pres- 
sure. But most furniture may be finished with twice as 
much oil as gum ; such a varnish will in three weeks or so 
become hard enough to rub; and I have mostly finished 
tables, etc., entirely with such a varnish from the wood 
up, and successfully. But it requires months to do it, 
though if extreme durability of finish is wanted it will 
pay. 

Years ago, but within our recollection, kauri gum was 
considered low-grade stock, it was the cheapest gum used 
for making varnish, and the furniture varnish was made 
entirely of it ; how we wish it were so abundant and com- 
monplace now. I heard of a piece of furniture done 
twenty years ago with kauri gum polishing varnish, and 
its luster is as good as ever. Nowadays it is quite com- 
mon to hear complaints of the polished jobs growing dim 
even before they can be shipped away to market. And 
maybe the trouble is not entirely with the varnish, but 
with the price, as many are giving a dollar a gallon less 
for polishing varnish than they used to give. 

We do not as formerly hear so much about the expert 
varnish maker and his trade secrets; there are indeed 
trade secrets in the varnish factory, but some of the 
secrets have leaked out. In fact, anyone may know all 
about varnish and its making at the cost of a very few 
dollars, invested in books or trade magazines. However, 
it is well known that the most expert varnish maker can- 
not make good varnish out of poor materials. The 
demands for cheaper and still cheaper varnish has 
obliged the varnish maker to employ the most skillful 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 119 

chemists to devise ways and means for making goods 
that will meet this demand. A polishing varnish made 
with Manila gum will of course polish, but the finish will 
lose its luster in a very brief time. A kauri gum varnish 
with some rosin in it will do the same, and it also requires 
longer rubbing to produce a polish. Kauri gum is not 
extinct, neither is its price prohibitive, hence it would be 
better to buy that kind rather than take chances with an 
inferior grade, with the idea of saving a little on the price 
of the varnish, which you may more than lose in the 
finishing room. 



CHAPTER IX 
MAKING ANTIQUE FURNITURE 

IN the case of oak, as each job is made it receives a 
coat of white lead paint, which is allowed to thor- 
oughly dry. It is then completely removed by the 
aid of caustic potash and a steel wire brush, which not 
only cleans off the paint but tears away the softer fibers 
of the wood and at the same time considerably darkens it. 

Sometimes it is necessary to give the work the ap- 
pearance of having been exposed to strong sunlight for a 
considerable time. This is effected by bleaching it with 
either dilute hydrochloric, sulphuric or oxalic acid. 
When it requires to be darkened it is put into an air-tight 
chamber and subjected to the fumes of ammonia until 
it becomes the required shade. 

In finishing off, a wax polish, to which burnt umber 
has been added, is applied and so manipulated that, while 
the flat surfaces of the job are quite clean, the corners 
are dirty-looking, thus giving it the appearance of being 
carelessly dusted for a considerable time. A preparation 
of butter of antimony is then applied to harden the wax, 
and the job is ready for a customer. 

Mahogany is treated in very much the same way as re- 
gards the painting and subsequent scrubbing. When it 
is thoroughly dried after the removal of the paint it is 
smoothed down with coarse glasspaper, using the hand 
only instead of a flat glasspapering cork. The effect of 
this is to remove all traces of the previous operation and 
to leave the surface of the wood quite coarse. It is then 
carefully washed over with a saturated solution of potas- 

120 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 121 

sium bichromate to darken it, and to develop the figure 
of the wood. The next operation is to apply several 
coats of boiled linseed oil, adding to the oil sufficient 
driers to dry it properly. When this has become per- 
fectly dry and hard, sandpaper it smooth and rub with 
raw oil, or Frenchpolish it if not too much trouble and 
expense. Walnut is done the same way as mahogany, 
except that carbonate of soda is the darkening agent in- 
stead of potassium bichromate. 



CHAPTER X 
RE-FINISHING OLD FURNITURE 

THE first thing to do with an old piece of furni- 
ture that is to be re-finished is to go over it and 
ascertain what repairs may be needed. This 
work may or may not require the aid of the cabinet 
maker, depending upon the amount and character of re- 
pairs needed. Save the bits of veneer that come off, 
if any, for fitting in defective places. When skillfully 
done the patching will not be noticeable. After all re- 
pairs have been made take the piece in hand for re-fin- 
ishing. Make smooth and solid all surfaces, using steel 
wool or sandpaper, and scraping off or otherwise remov- 
ing old varnish. In some cases the varnish may easily 
be removed by coating it over with a hot glue size, which 
allow to dry in a warm room, over night; in the morn- 
ing, if conditions were favorable, the most of the varnish 
will be pulled off by the action of the drying glue. The 
balance of it may then be removed with sandpaper or 
steel wool. Alkali, alcohol, and other liquid removers 
are messy and not nice to handle, hence if the glue trick 
will suffice, so much the gain. Otherwise use any of the 
removers named and described in another place. The 
hot glue will not remove paint, nor varnish under cer- 
tain conditions. The condition of old varnish which 
glue will remove is that where it adheres very slightly to 
the wood, as with most very old varnish coats. Recently 
applied varnish it will not take off. In drying, the glue 
contracts very strongly, hence if the surface to which it 
has been applied is not perfectly solid it will pull it away. 

122 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 123 

This fact is made use of in glass embossing or frosting, 
the glue pulling away the thin face of the sheet of glass. 

After making the piece smooth, dust it off well, then 
examine for colored and uncolored places; it may need 
touching up with color. I prefer to go over the entire 
piece with a colored oil stain, rubbing this in well, and 
rubbing off every vestige of surplus, then leaving it to 
dry. If then there are parts lighter than the body of the 
work I touch these parts up with suitable color, let it dry 
again, then lightly rub entire job with curled hair or 
moss, which will remove any specks and take off any 
gloss. This going over the work with a stain, even 
though with a hard wood it may not seem to sink in, 
gives it a uniform appearance. Of course in some cases 
it may be necessary to stain the whole piece in the usual 
way. Add a little japan driers to the stain in any case, as 
the oil alone will not dry quick enough. 

Now, if the piece looks uniform of color, fit to take 
the varnish, then apply varnish, using ordinary good 
furniture varnish. If only one coat is to be given, lay it 
on rather heavy, flowing it out well, and brushing it 
out even and level. If two coats are needed, let the 
first coat be rather thin, and when it has stood forty- 
eight hours rub down lightly with steel wool or fine sand- 
paper, dust off, and apply a full coat of furniture var- 
nish. As regards both the amount of work and the 
quality of varnish used, it will depend on the character 
of the work, whether cheap or costly, or medium. This 
matter the finisher can determine. There are several 
grades of furniture varnish, and where one has little re- 
finishing to do, or in any case, for that matter, he might 
well use the best; a few cents' worth of the very best 
varnish will probably do for any ordinary piece of furni- 
ture. However, a fairly good grade will last well and 
have a good luster. Of course, all furniture finish is in 
full luster. 



124 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Some old furniture may require simply a sandpaper- 
ing lightly with fine paper or steel wool, and a coat of 
light-bodied varnish. Or if the piece needs merely a 
cleaning up and reviving, then all there is to do is to clean 
off with a rag and a furniture reviver, which see in an- 
other place, to remove dirt and grime, then a brightening 
up with a polish, which also see. Or it may be well to 
first wash off the piece with good soap and water, wash 
off again in clear water, and dry with a so-called chamois 
cloth. In all cases the workman must use his judgment. 
And if working for others, as this book is designed for 
the shop, not the home, it will be well to give the customer 
rather more for his money than he might expect; that is 
to say, give him if anything a little better job than you 
had given him to expect. This will win and hold trade. 
The re-finishing of old furniture is a large and profitable 
kind of trade, and well worth giving time and attention 
to. You can use a cheap rosin varnish that will dry in a 
day, show a very brilliant luster, looking fine, yet will go 
to pieces inside of a year. 

Enameled Furniture. — To do up a piece of furni- 
ture in enamel get a good ground of white lead and zinc 
white, thinned with turpentine, adding a little bleached 
linseed or poppy seed oil, and white japan driers. Make 
smooth, then apply two coats of quick-drying flake white, 
thinned with turpentine, sandpapering the last coat 
smooth. Then apply the coat of enamel. This may be 
bought ready for use, or made from finest French zinc 
ground in hard white enamel varnish; let a coat of this 
stand three days, then rub with fine pumicestone powder 
and water. In twenty-four hours after this apply an- 
other coat of enamel, and let dry two or three days. 
Then moss off and hair down with flour pumicestone and 
water. Wipe dry and polish with powdered rottenstone 
and sweet oil, if smooth. If not smooth, it may be best 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 125 

to apply another coat of enamel, which polish, and this 
ought to give a surface smooth as polished glass. 

The enamel may also be tinted any desired color. 

Cheap work may be done with much less labor, as the 
first or ground coat may be of glue size and whiting. 
Two coats of this will be found best, although one coat 
only is used on cheap furniture in the factory. 

When buying enamel for cheap furniture, get what is 
known as " Special Furniture Quality," some paint makers 
putting out a very hard-drying yet fairly elastic enamel 
paint for this purpose. 

Repolishing. — When a piece of cabinet work or furni- 
ture requires repolishing, it is best to take the object 
apart as far as possible, which will facilitate the work 
greatly and permit of a cleaner and more thorough job. 
Remove the fixtures, such as handles, etc. Rust dirt 
under these things may be removed by rubbing with a 
paste made from fine emery flour and turpentine. Then 
make clean the entire surface of the work, using soap 
and water, or acid, or whatever will effect the cleaning 
best. Then give a coat of clear oil, rubbing this off well. 
It will then take the repolish better. Repair any broken 
places, such as dents, by several coats of shellac which, 
when hard, may be sandpapered smooth and level. 

Coloring Up. — The chief colors used by polishers for 
" coloring up " are black and red. The black polish may 
be made by mixing gas-black or lamp-black with thin 
polish — i. e., half polish and half alcohol, and then 
straining it through a piece of muslin. Another way is 
to mix a little aniline " spirit black " with the thin polish. 
This is the readiest way, but is not as permanent as gas- 
black. 

Red polish may be made by mixing Bismarck brown 
with thin polish. This is the red polish mostly used by 
the French polishers. 



126 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Having got our color ready, we will mix a little of the 
black with some very thin polish until we get the depth we 
require. Care must be taken not to get it too strong. 
In coloring it is better to give two or three coats of weak 
color rather than risk getting it too dark ; but should we 
get it too dark we can wash it off again with alcohol. 

We will now suppose we have made the light parts dark 
enough, but we find they are not the same shade as the 
other parts — not brown enough. We can remedy this 
by mixing a very little of the red polish with some thin 
polish, as we did with the black, and color with this. As 
these colors are transparent, one color will show through 
another, so by coating the black over with a red we pro- 
duce a brown. 

Furniture Polishes. — The character of the furni- 
ture and work required to be done will determine what 
kind of polish should be used when it is desired to revive 
the finish. One of the most popular polishes now for old 
furniture is made from beeswax and turpentine to about 
the consistency of soft butter. It is applied by means 
of a rag in a thin film, then in a few minutes the surface 
is well rubbed with a dry woolen rag, producing a fine 
polish. But such a finish is affected by water. A better 
finish, one not affected by water, is made by melting three 
or four bits of gum sandarac about the size of a walnut 
each and adding one pint of boiled oil, boiling the mass 
for one hour. When taken from the fire and allowed to 
cool, add one dram of Venice turpentine, and if too thick 
add also a little ordinary turpentine. Apply a coat of 
this to the furniture and let it stand for a few hours, after 
which rub off clean. The furniture then should be 
rubbed daily to keep it clean, but a fresh application of 
the polish will not be necessary more than once in two or 
three months, possibly longer. Scratches may be re- 
moved with the rubbing in of a little of the polish. 

An authority gives the following method for doing up 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 127 

old furniture: Place in a quart bottle the following in- 
gredients, in the order in which they are named here: i 
gill of powdered rottenstone, i gill of cold-drawn lin- 
seed oil, i gill of turpentine, I gill of naphtha, I gill of 
strong solution of oxalic acid, y?. gill of alcohol, i gill 
of cold water; to which has been gradually added a tea- 
spoonful of sulphuric acid. Dip a piece of felt (an old 
felt hat gives the material if no other is at hand) into 
the mixture, which is to be poured out into a saucer, and 
rub the work in a circular manner, beginning at one part 
and slowly working toward the opposite part, in the usual 
way; avoid rubbing too long in one place. Do only a 
portion of a surface at a time. On some surfaces flour 
pumicestone may be used in place of rottenstone. This 
liquid is said to remove white marks from varnished sur- 
faces. 

Furniture Cream or French Re-Polisher. — In I pint 
of 95 per cent, alcohol put ^2 oz. of gum copal ; first 
pulverize the gum and sift through a fine sieve or cheese- 
cloth, to facilitate the dissolving. Then add an ounce of 
shellac to the mixture. Place all in a tight bottle and 
put in a warm place until perfect dissolution has taken 
place. Shake now and then, and in two or three days 
the gums will have dissolved. Then strain through 
cheesecloth and bottle again, keeping tightly corked when 
not in use. 

Furniture Revivers. — Wax does not answer on 
French-polished work, but for other kinds of finish it 
does very well, and for some woods the addition of a 
little coloring is well, say red sanders wood. For re- 
viving French-polished work try this : Take equal parts 
of turpentine, strong vinegar, alcohol, and raw linseed 
oil, and place them in a bottle in the order here given ; 
this is essential in order that curdling may not occur and 
so spoil the mixture. This is recommended as being a 
superior reviver. 



128 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

French Polish Reviver. — Another one, and a formula 
very old and always popular, is this : Beat up gum 
arabic and the whites of two eggs in a mortar or other 
suitable vessel until they amalgamate. Then add Y* 
pint each of raw linseed oil and pure sharp cider vinegar, 
8 oz. of alcohol, i oz. of hydrochloric acid, and 2 oz. of 
muriate of antimony. Rub the furniture with this until 
a polish appears. The finish will prove to be a very dur- 
able and pleasing one. 

Another and very good polish is made upon this for- 
mula: Powder fine 1 oz. of seedlac, 2 drams gum guai- 
acum, 2 drams dragon's blood, and 2 drams gum mastic, 
and place in 1 pint of alcohol. Place in a stoppered 
bottle and expose to a moderate heat for three hours, or 
until the gums have dissolved, then strain through muslin, 
bottle, adding a tablespoonful of raw linseed oil, all well 
shaken together. This polish is intended for the darker 
woods, as it would discolor any very light-colored wood. 
It is particularly fine for cherry or mahogany, owing to 
the reddish hue imparted by the dragon's blood. 

Derby Cream. — Derby cream is a very old and re- 
liable reviver made by adding 6 oz. of raw linseed oil to 
3 oz. of acetic acid. This is well stirred, then Y* oz. of 
butter of antimony and 3 oz. of alcohol are added. 

Furniture Renovating Polish. — Melt in a vessel that 
is to be placed within another vessel containing hot water, 
white wax Y* oz., rosin Y* oz -> an d l A dram Venice tur- 
pentine, stirring until the mass is dissolved. Pour out 
into another vessel and pour into it while hot 5 quarts 
turpentine. Let the mass stand two hours, when it will 
have become like vaseline or soft butter. Make the fur- 
niture or piano that is to be renovated perfectly clean, 
washing off with soap and water and drying with a clean 
cloth, or chamois skin. Rub in the polish with a soft bit 
of rag, and rub to a polish with felt or dry cloth. 

Melt together with gentle heat 3 oz. spirits of turpen- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 129 

tine and 4 oz. white wax, in an earthen vessel, covering 
it so as to keep in the fumes of the turpentine. Allow the 
mass to cool, until it is almost firm, then add 2 oz. of alco- 
hol and mix well together. 

Melt together 2,y 2 oz. yellow wax, 1 oz. white wax, 1 
oz. Castile soap, 10 oz. turpentine, 10 oz. boiling water 
and 1 dram carbonate of potash. The best way is to melt 
the waxes and turpentine together, and separately dis- 
solve the soap and potash in the hot water by boiling un- 
til the soap is dissolved, and then stir in the wax and tur- 
pentine compound while the latter is still hot; after re- 
moving the mass from the fire continue stirring it until it 
is cold, so as to prevent the wax granulating. 

FURNITURE POLISHES AND REVIVERS. 

I. Mix equal parts of sweet oil and alcohol and shake 
well together. Dip a wad of raw cotton in the mixture 
and rub the object with a rotary motion. 

2. Shake well together equal parts of turpentine and 
raw linseed oil, and apply with a rag; remove surplus 
oil with a rag, leaving the surface free of oil. 

3. Crude petroleum oil is one of the best renovators, 
and kerosene oil also is very good. Neither, however, 
leave any polish, as the oil evaporates in time and leaves 
a dull surface, which must then be rubbed to a polish ; 
the oil simply cleanses the surface. 

4. Here is a recipe of date 1777: For polishing ma- 
hogany or walnut furniture, take 2 oz. butter of anti- 
mony, 2 quarts strong cider vinegar, y 2 pint raw linseed 
oil, and 3^ pint of ale; beer will not do. Mix the anti- 
mony with the oil, then add the ale, place in a half-gallon 
demijohn, and shake well with the vinegar. Shake well 
before using, and apply with a soft woolen cloth. 

5. Mix together raw oil 1 pint, spirits of camphor 2 
oz., vinegar 4 oz., butter of antimony 1 oz., liquid am- 



130 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

monia ^ oz. ; keep in a corked bottle, and shake before 
using. Apply with soft cloth, and rub to a polish with 
soft old rag, flannel or silk. 

6. Mix together i quart of raw oil, ^ pint grain alco- 
hol, ^2 pint turpentine, and 2 oz. butter of antimony. 
Place in a bottle and shake well before using. 

7. Raw oil 1 pint, grain alcohol 2 oz., butter of anti- 
mony 4 oz. Mix and shake. 

8. Acetic acid 2 drams, oil of lavender y 2 dram, grain 
alcohol 1 dram, and raw linseed oil 4 oz. Mix. 

9. Raw oil 1 pint, rose pink 1 oz., and alkanet root 1 
oz. ; macerate in a mortar or other suitable vessel, and 
let the mass stand for a few days, then decant the liquid 
portion for use. The addition of coloring is for woods 
requiring color, as mahogany, rosewood, walnut, etc. 

10. Raw oil 1 pint, shellac varnish 4 oz., turpentine 2 
oz., alkanet root 2 oz., scraped beeswax 2 oz. Macerate 
and steep the root to extract the color. 

11. Mix well together 1 pint raw oil, ^ pint shellac 
varnish, and ^ pint alcohol. 

12. What is known as " furniture paste " may be made 
by dissolving 6 oz. of pearlash in 1 quart of hot water. 
Add Yz lb. of white beeswax and let it simmer for 30 
minutes in an earthen pipkin. Then remove from fire 
and skim off the wax when it is cool. When needed for 
use, add a little hot water to the wax and work up into a 
paste. 

13. Take equal parts of turpentine, boiled linseed oil 
and white vinegar. Apply with a cloth and rub. This 
polish will remove scratches which so often disfigure 
furniture. 

14. Olive oil 8 oz., oil of amber 8 oz., tincture of henna 
y 2 oz. Keep in tightly corked bottle and shake before 
using. Apply with a soft brush or cloth and rub to a 
dry polish with soft cotton cloth. 

15. One quart pure cider vinegar, 2 oz. butter of anti- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 131 

mony, 2 oz. grain alcohol, and 1 quart raw linseed oil; 
shake well before using. 

16. The following is a simple home-made cream : 
Shred fine 2 oz. of Castile soap and 2 oz. of beeswax into 
a jar with y 2 pint of water, and set this jar in a moderate 
oven until the contents are perfectly dissolved. When 
quite cold, mix into it y 2 pint of turpentine and 2 table- 
spoonfuls of vinegar, stirring these in. This cream 
should be stirred occasionally while in the oven. 

17. For old rosewood needing renovating, try this : 
Put into a pan 2 oz. yellow wax, y 2 pint boiled linseed 
oil and 1 oz. boiled alkanet root; stand this pan in an- 
other three parts full of boiling water, and leave it till 
the wax is perfectly melted and the whole is well colored 
with the alkanet ; then strain it and when cool add to it a 
gill each of vinegar and turpentine; mix well and use. 
This " fetches up," to use the technical phrase, old ma- 
hogany, or, indeed, any dark wood. 

18. To clean and renovate old oak furniture, dust off 
carefully, then wash off with warm water and Castile 
soap-suds. Let it dry, then rub with thin wax polish 
with a soft rag to a polish. A plain surface may be 
nicely polished by rubbing with the palm of the hand, the 
heat generated and the natural oil of the skin combined 
producing the very finest polish. 

19. Splashes of dirt on polished furniture may be re- 
moved with soap and water, after which let it dry, then 
rub with a mixture of alcohol and raw linseed oil, or alco- 
hol and turpentine, well shaken together. This has both 
a cleansing and polishing action, the polish being re- 
tained for a long time if well rubbed in and the surplus 
well rubbed off. 

20. Another good preparation for the purpose is a solu- 
tion of stearine in turpentine and a little alcohol, care 
being taken not to use so much stearine that white streaks 
are produced in the mass. When the turpentine and al- 



132 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

cohol have evaporated, the wood is well rubbed with a 
woolen rag. This gives an excellent polish that can be 
renewed by rubbing when dimmed. 

As a rule, furniture in these days suffers from too 
much furniture polish rather than too little. The deli- 
cate surface for which old pieces are famous, known as 
" egg-shell gloss," was obtained by hard rubbing. There 
is an art in applying furniture polish. First, carefully 
remove all dust and dirt, stains, etc., then with a flannel 
apply a very thin film of furniture cream to the wood; 
take a duster in each hand and rub up the wood the way 
of the grain till on touching the surface with your hand it 
leaves no mark. For the last polish use a clean old silk 
handkerchief. Of course, if it has been once neglected, 
wood takes a long time to recover its condition ; but once 
this is attained, it takes relatively but little trouble to 
keep it in good order. Furniture polish applied too 
thickly smears and becomes a regular dust trap. 



CHAPTER XI 

HOW TO TREAT STAINS, WHITE SPOTS, 
ETC., ON FURNITURE 

White Spots. — White spots caused by hot 
dishes may be rubbed lightly with a rag mois- 
tened with grain alcohol. This must be done 
very deftly in order that the spirit does not injure the 
varnish. Then rub with linseed oil. 

It is said that dilute oxalic acid will remove the white 
spot. In any case it is best to apply the remedy as soon 
after the accident as possible. And rub with sweet oil or 
raw linseed oil afterwards. 

Spirits of camphor is another remedy, rubbing the spot 
until the white goes. Then rub with oil. 

Better still is camphorated oil, which is simply sweet 
oil and camphor well mixed. This is also said to be a 
good cleanser and polisher. 

William E. Wall recommends holding a hot sad iron 
near the white spot, being careful not to over-heat the 
varnish and soften it. Then polish with oil on a rag. 
While it is the moist heat of the plate that causes the 
white spot, it is the dry heat of the iron that causes the 
white to disappear by gently fusing the gum in the var- 
nish. 

Mr. Wall says that the quickest and most effective way 
he knows is to apply a small piece of salted butter to a 
folded rag and rub the white spot briskly. A few min- 
utes of this rubbing, he says, will erase the white spot. 
He adds that he has repeatedly used this method with suc- 
cess. 

133 



134 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

It is also said that olive or sweet oil or cottonseed 
oil and salt applied to the white spot and allowed to re- 
main an hour or so will prove efficacious. Spread the 
mixture on lightly, and after an hour or so remove it with 
a dry and soft old cloth. 

Another man tells of using a hot iron, but advises fol- 
lowing it with a polish made thus : ^2 pint each of tur- 
pentine and raw oil, and 1 gill each of alcohol and vine- 
gar, shaking all together well before using. This also 
makes a good cleanser and reviver. 

White on mahogany caused by dampness may be 
rubbed with a soft cloth moistened with a little sweet oil. 
Rub it well. 

Alcohol marks may be treated by sprinkling some dry 
sal soda, powdered, on the wet spot and allowing it to re- 
main a few minutes. Then wet a rag with kerosene oil 
and rub the part. Then rub the entire top with the rag 
and soda, then rub with a clean cloth to a polish. When 
alcoholic liquor, or lemonade, etc., are spilled on a pol- 
ished table top, it should at once be washed off with clear 
warm water, using a soft cloth, after which rub dry and 
polish with a suitable polish or reviver. 

Water will cause white appearance on varnish of in- 
ferior grade, due to presence of rosin. There is no 
remedy but revarnishing over. Or try 2 oz. oxalic acid 
and 1 oz. butter of antimony to 1 pint of water. 

White marks are usually difficult of removal. Some 
use chloroform, some scrape the spot and revarnish. 

Varnish Bloom. — A wood finisher says : "If ever 
troubled with that blue-gray bloom appearance on highly- 
polished furniture, you may feel perfectly safe in using 
the following formula : To about 1 quart of clear water 
add 1 tablespoonful of strong vinegar. In this saturate 
a piece of soft cheesecloth and then wring it out as dry 
as you can. Rub the surface lightly with this, and dry 
with another piece of cheesecloth. If the first treat- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 135 

ment fails to effect a cure, repeat the operation in about 
a week, and you will have the satisfaction of not seeing 
that cloudy look again, and your piano or furniture look- 
ing bright as at first." 

Furniture Looks Dull. — When varnished furni- 
ture begins to look dull and dingy, the result of the 
action of coal gas, dust, etc., wipe it off with a soft cloth 
dampened with benzine; then let the work stand an hour. 
Then make up some suds with white Castile soap and 
wash the furniture with it, using a soft cloth. When dry, 
polish with a soft cloth. 

Stains on Furniture. — Make up a polish as follows : 
One pint of grain alcohol, ^ oz. pulverized rosin, y 2 
oz. brown shellac; mix together. The alcohol will cut 
the rosin and shellac, after which mix in i pint of raw 
linseed oil, and shake up the mixture. Rub the article 
with this on a soft cloth, after which rub to a polish with 
cloth and flannel. 

Finger Marks on Piano. — Vinegar or acetic acid di- 
luted a little with water makes a good cleanser. A rag or 
soft sponge dampened with alcohol and deftly passed 
over the finger marks will remove them, but it must be 
done carefully, or the alcohol will injure the luster of the 
varnish. 

Greasy Look After Polishing. — If you use a polish 
or reviver that contains oil, and you do not carefully 
clean away the surface, some oil will remain to make the 
surface clouded or greasy looking, to remove which use 
good vinegar. Acid is always a good addition to a re- 
viver. 

Bruises on Furniture. — If the bruise extends down 
into the wood, wet the part with warm water, which will 
swell the sunken part to a level of the surface, and after 
it has become dry you can sandpaper it down smooth and 
level. Then stain it and putty if needs be. Another 
way is to fold some brown paper and wet it, lay it on the 



136 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

bruised part, and hold a hot iron over it until the water 
is evaporated from the paper. If one application is in- 
sufficient, try a second. A very small bruise will need 
no paper, merely holding the hot iron over the bruise be- 
ing sufficient. Such injuries call for careful treatment, 
but when carefully done it is hard to detect the repaired 
part. 

Fine Cracks in Mahogany. — Mix up some dry 
Venetian red with thick gum arabic mucilage into a putty, 
and press this well into the cracks. The same result will 
apply to other woods, observing only to color the putty to 
suit. 

Restoring Color to Old Mahogany. — Add ]/ 2 oz. al- 
kanet root in small bits to a pint of raw linseed oil, and 
when this has stood a week add a ]/? oz. of powdered 
gum arabic and i oz. of shellac varnish. Let the mass 
stand in a bottle in a warm place for a week, and then 
strain it. Wash the surface of the wood with slightly 
soapy water, rinse, wipe dry, and polish with the prepara- 
tion, using a soft woolen rag or chamois skin. 

Specks on Rosewood Piano. — The minute specks 
seen and which greatly disfigure the surface, are caused 
by an oil that exudes from the wood, and which cannot 
be held back even with shellac. Rubbing down and re- 
varnishing is the only cure. 

Pitting of Varnish on Piano. — This may be remedied 
by rubbing it over with a hard wax polish. Make this 
wax by melting together y 2 oz. Carnauba wax, 2 oz. japan 
wax, or white beeswax will do, and 2 oz. ceresin wax. 
Place all in a pot and melt by placing the pot inside of an- 
other vessel containing hot water, which place on the 
stove. When melted add enough kerosene oil to make 
the mass, when cool, about like petroleum jelly. Test by 
placing some on a glass and letting it cool, and if it be- 
comes too hard upon cooling, add a little more kerosene. 
Apply with a woolen pad, made by rolling up a strip of 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 137 

woolen like tape. It will be necessary to give it two or 
more applications, the idea being to fill the little pits in the 
varnish. 

Discolored Woods. — Woods naturally discolored can- 
not well be remedied, though bleaching powder may help. 
Artificial or accidental discolorations may be removed in 
most cases by the application of a strong solution of 
oxalic acid, or with one part muriatic acid to five parts 
water. Ink spots may be treated with oxalic acid. 
Spirits of nitre is another cure for ink on wood. 

Aniline Stains on Hands. — After staining some work 
and you find your hands well stained, the problem is how 
to remove the color. First wash the hands with a little 
bleaching powder, then with alcohol, following this with 
a washing with some soap, sapolio being about the best. 

Cleaning Dirty Varnished Surface. — Try one part of 
muriatic acid in six or seven parts of water. Vary the 
proportions to suit the nature of the case. The stronger 
the dirt and grime the stronger the acid needs to be. 
Railroad car men use this. 

Here is a paste that has been recommended: Starch 
flour or wood pulp 40 parts, hydrochloric acid 45 parts, 
chloride of lime 16 parts, turpentine y^ part. Mix these 
thoroughly into a paste. Cover the varnished work, 
whether on wood, metal or stone, with this paste, and 
allow it to remain for some hours. Then remove the 
paste, and this may be done by rubbing it briskly with 
a piece of soft leather or a brush, which removes all dust 
and dirt, leaving the surface perfectly clean. Rub with 
a cloth or soft leather to produce a polish. The chloride 
of lime keeps the paste moist, and permits of the re- 
moval of the paste without injuring the surface of the 
varnish. 

Bleaches. — There are several chemicals that may be 
used for bleaching out woods, vinegar or acetic acid be- 
ing the most common, with oxalic acid most in favor 



138 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

for very dark stains, ink, etc. Use acetic acid and vine- 
gar full strength. Use oxalic acid at the rate of one lb. 
to the gallon of water. Vinegar or acetic acid are some- 
times added to the oxalic acid, the solution being used hot 
or cold as desired. Muriatic or hydrochloric acid, to 
which has been added some zinc metal, to " cut " the acid, 
is a bleacher. Nitric acid diluted with water is still an- 
other. 

Sticky Pews. — The cause of pews and seats in 
churches becoming sticky is due, not to the use of poor 
varnishes, though this may sometimes contribute to the 
cause, but to the damp and impure air of such places, 
where ventilation is poor, and the atmosphere reeking 
with ammonia and gases. Sometimes the trouble comes 
from revarnishing over greasy seats. In any case, where 
the varnish is sticky, either remove the varnish or coat 
it over with very thin shellac varnish, using the brown 
shellac. Two thin coats are better than one heavy coat. 
Over the shellac you may apply a coat of best pew var- 
nish, if desired. It is best to use pew varnish, as this is 
made with a view to standing the conditions met with in 
such a place. Some advise merely rubbing the sticky 
varnish with japan, but this is a very poor makeshift. 

Care in Rubbing With Chamois Skin. — Never rub 
a varnished surface with a dry chamois skin, as it is very 
apt to scratch the surface. The skin gathers dust and 
dirt, and this in passing over the varnish does the scratch- 
ing. 

Ink Spots. — Try spirits of nitre or nitric acid, and 
when the spot turns white wipe it off with a soft cloth. 
It may be necessary to give two applications, but the cure 
is said to be sure. 

Rust Stains. — Rust stains may be removed with Rus- 
sian water, made from oxalate of tin in a solution of ox- 
alic acid. 

Stains on Wood. — Put an ounce of oxalic acid in one 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 139 

gill of boiling water, and touch the stain with it. If this 
proves ineffectual, try nitric acid in water. 

Dirty Hardwood Finish. — Give it a coat of kerosene 
oil and let it remain on for an hour or so. This to soften 
up the dirt or grime. Then rub off with a cloth, and 
wash with soap and water; then wipe dry. Next rub 
with crude oil, then polish with felt or old flannel. In 
an hour or so polish with soft old linen rag. If the 
part is very dull, dirty and scratched, instead of wash- 
ing with soap and water, add more oil, and sprinkle pul- 
verized rottenstone over it ; rub gently and regularly, first 
with a circular motion, and then with the grain of the 
wood. When the surface has become smooth and bright, 
wipe off the rottenstone and finish as you would after the 
washing with soap and warm water. 

Bleaching Stains. — If, after we bleach the stain with 
oxalic acid, we will sandpaper the work and apply a mix- 
ture of caustic lime seven parts and sal soda one part, the 
bleaching will be greatly improved, says an expert. 

White Mark on Wax Finish. — If water is allowed 
to get on and stay on waxed surface any length of time, 
it will cause it to grow white, to cure which a manu- 
facturer of wood finishing materials says it may be 
rubbed with a soft rag moistened with alcohol, after 
which rub on a little linseed or sweet oil. He says this 
will permanently remove the white spot, but cautions 
against getting water on wax, as a wax finish is not made 
to stand against water. 

Protecting a Wax Finish. — But wax finish may be 
protected against water or any form of dampness by a 
coat of the following: Zanzibar copal varnish 6 parts, 
boiled oil 6 parts, and turpentine io parts, all by weight, 
all well mixed together, then applied. While protecting 
the wax it will not destroy, but preserve the waxy 
look. 



CHAPTER XII 
REMOVING VARNISH FROM OLD WORK 

REMOVAL by alcohol. Varnish is largely com- 
posed of vegetable matter, hence is easily at- 
tacked and destroyed by an application of either 
alcohol or alkali. Alcohol answers well for removing 
varnish from small objects, but for larger pieces or sur- 
faces its cost and somewhat slow action make it less de- 
sirable than other removers. True, it affects the sur- 
face of varnish in an instant, as anyone having spilt some 
on a table-top knows, but that is quite different from eat- 
ing clear through the old coating. But for removing 
shellac varnish it is to be preferred. 

Alkali Removers. — The simplest of alkali removers 
may be made from a pound of sal soda to a gallon of 
water. This may be made stronger if necessary, up to 
the point of a saturated solution. Apply freely, and 
while the surface is still wet begin rubbing off with steel 
wool, brushing out moldings, beads, corners, etc., using a 
stiff bristle brush. When done, rinse off, using plenty of 
clean water, to remove the alkali. Follow with a coat- 
ing of acid water, to neutralize the alkali. Wipe off dry 
as you can with a dry cloth, and let the job stand until it 
is perfectly dry. The vinegar or other acid used does not 
need to be washed off, as it will do no harm. If the wood 
requires it, from being more or less discolored, and it 
is not intended to stain it, apply a wash of oxalic acid, 
to bleach it out. Where it is not expedient to use water 
you can use benzine instead, which will not make so much 
slopping around the place. 

140 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 141 

Ammonia water also may be used, and for some parts, 
like moldings, etc., is to be preferred to soda or potash, as 
it evaporates and leaves nothing to injure the finish. It is 
more or less difficult to clean out corners, etc., and hence 
the ammonia is best to use. Or if you wish to remove 
old filler out of the wood there is nothing better than 
ammonia, using a stiff bristle brush. But it will always 
be necessary to bleach out the wood with oxalic acid, as 
previously stated. 

Some prefer a mixture composed of ammonia two 
parts and turpentine one part, which will, with shaking, 
form a permanent emulsion. Others prefer a mixture of 
potash and fresh lime, or the lime with soda. These al- 
kalies are very caustic, removing varnish readily. 

A powder may be made from caustic soda x /%, fresh 
powdered lime y%, and whiting y 2 ; keep in dry place, 
and when wanted for use add water to form a paste like 
thick cream, which is to be spread on the old varnish 
and allowed one-half hour to do its work; then it may be 
scraped off. A pound of this powder to the gallon of 
water makes a good cleaner for grimed varnish surface. 

Fusel Oil. — Removers made on the fusel oil or amyl 
spirits basis are highly inflammable and also very injuri- 
ous to the health. They are explosive. Fusel oil forms 
the basis of ethers, guncotton, collodion, banana liquid, 
and cheap whiskies. It is a rank poison, and should be 
handled only by those familiar with it. 

Yet it is a sure remover, and may be useful in such mat- 
ters as cleaning old paint brushes (though some claim it 
destroys the vitality or spring of hog bristles), or for re- 
moving tar, shellac, or copal varnish, lacquer, paint, etc. 
Here is a sample formula : Mix together 4 oz. benzol, 3 
oz. fusel oil, and 1 oz. denatured alcohol. Increase pro- 
portions for large quantities. 

Here is a similar formula, only it calls for wood alcohol 
in place of fusel oil; Benzol 3 quarts, wood alcohol 1 



142 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

quart, and paraffin wax 8 oz. Melt the wax in ^2 pint of 
coal oil, which then add to the other mixture and stir the 
mass well together. This remover is said to be very 
good, besides being cheap and easily prepared. 

In using such removers the shop should have an abun- 
dance of free, fresh air in circulation. Wood alcohol is 
especially bad on the eyes ; we heard of a workman losing 
his sight in forty-eight hours after working in varnish re- 
mover that must certainly have contained a large amount 
of wood alcohol. Now that grain alcohol, denatured, is 
so low in price there should be no inducement for using 
the wood distillate. 

Banana Liquid. — Fusel oil gives us amyl acetate, 
which in turn yields the familiar banana liquid, so called 
because of its peculiar odor. Amyl acetate is prepared 
by distilling a mixture of one part fusel oil with one part 
of concentrated sulphuric acid, and two parts of potas- 
sium acetate. The distillate is first washed with water, 
then with a dilute solution of sodium carbonate, and is 
finally rectified after being dried over fused calcium chlo- 
ride. Amyl acetate is insoluble in water, but is miscible 
in all proportions with alcohol. Banana liquid appears to 
be a trade secret, but is generally understood to contain 
soluble and other ingredients in addition to the amyl ace- 
tate. 

The odor of banana liquid is not pleasant, but it is 
not harmful to the hands or the bristles of the brush, 
and it acts well on old varnish. It eats right down 
through the varnish into the wood, and is difficult to stop 
short of the wood, once it gets started ; hence if only the 
upper part of the coating is to be removed something less 
energetic should be used. Yet the liquid will not injure 
the wood. Alcohol mixed with the banana liquid makes 
a good remover, leaving the wood in fine condition for re- 
finishing. After the remover has done its work you have 
merely to rub it off with a rag and benzine. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 143 

As banana liquid dries or evaporates very rapidly it is 
not well to take too large a surface at a time, wetting a 
small space and removing the stuff as soon as soft ; then 
do another small space, and so on until the surface is 
done. Another thing to know is, that if the stuff, after 
softening up ready for removal, is allowed to remain a 
while it will become hard, and so involve extra work and 
liquid. 

For certain delicate work a workman tells me he uses 
alcohol to which has been added a little gum camphor, the 
exact proportions not given. The liquid is rubbed on 
briskly, and when the stuff has softened it is removed by 
washing off with soap-suds. 

Here is a formula used in making a commercial re- 
mover : Pure crystallizable benzine 200 parts, denatured 
alcohol 200 parts, acetone 50 parts, paraffin wax 25 parts, 
common yellow rosin 25 parts, carbon disulphide 25 parts, 
and amyl acetate 5 parts. Dissolve the paraffin wax in 
the benzine, which is made hot on a water bath, adding 
the other ingredients afterwards. By omitting the par- 
affin the remover will be liquid. As such a remover will 
evaporate rapidly the addition of paraffin wax is prefer- 
able, as it holds the remover longer. 

The commercial removers are costly, and should be 
used economically, so as to avoid waste. This is a good 
way to use them : First coat the surface all over, not in 
patches, then let it work a little while before trying it to 
see how it is eating, and if by trying a part it loosens up 
readily it may all be removed by scraping; but if it does 
not loosen up readily then apply another coat. The idea 
is to get the hard coating saturated and softened clear 
down to the bottom, so that it may easily be removed. 
-To soften up and remove a patch at a time is to waste 
time and material. Keep the can well corked, as the 
liquid is very volatile. These are the directions given 
by a manufacturer of removers. The remover will act 



144 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

slowly, but it will finally get down to the bottom. On 
newer varnish or paint (for it removes paint and var- 
nish), it will cut immediately. Where you cannot use a 
scraper use a wire brush, working the brush back and 
forth. Or coarse steel wool will do. After removing the 
old stuff, clean up with a rag and benzine, to which add a 
little benzol or wood alcohol, to help it cut better. 

By the addition of ceresin or wax the evaporation of 
these volatile liquid removers is retarded, and that is why 
you find a waxy mass in the can. Shake the mass so as 
to incorporate this wax with the liquid when applying. 
By means of a retarder it is now possible to work in the 
open air with the liquid, or to do upright parts, where the 
liquid alone would run down and off. 

Carbolic acid makes a strong remover, but is entirely 
superseded now by the removers already noted. The ob- 
jections against carbolic acid are several: it burns the 
flesh if allowed to get on it — and it is difficult to use 
it without more or less of it getting in contact with the 
hands or face, and its odor is unbearable. Yet it was 
the principal thing in removers at first. The crude acid 
was used, combined with commercial glycerine, though 
in some cases soft soap was added, this, it was claimed, 
holding up the acid better, by giving body to the liquid. 
Carbolic acid penetrates the wood too deeply. If you 
do use the carbolic acid remover, then put on rubber 
gloves, or oil or grease hands and face. 

RUNOVER NOTES. 

To remove shellac apply the varnish remover, and when 
the stuff has become soft take hot water and a small 
quantity of savogran and wash off with a sponge. 
Where there are moldings or other difficult parts use steel 
wool or a scrub brush. 

In the case of very ancient varnish coats, where the 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 145 

gum has lost its liquid binder entirely, it may easily be 
removed by sandpaper, and this is the very best way to do 
it, as it is cleanly, and leaves the work in the best of con- 
ditions for refinishing. 

Varnish that contains much rosin may easily be re- 
moved with alcohol or benzol, or alkali. Or perhaps bet- 
ter still, it may be best to scrape it off, or sandpaper it 
off. 

It is found also that in many cases such things as 
alkali, alcohol or benzol will do the work in hand at a 
saving. When this can be done it is the part of wisdom 
to do it. Commercial removers will cost about four times 
as much as alcohol. 

No remover should be used that contains any greasy 
or fatty substance, which cannot easily be cleaned out 
of moldings, cracks and carvings. It will also settle 
in the pores of wood that are not filled. In such a case 
one cannot bleach out the wood and varnish will not wear 
well over it. 

When removing old varnish from hardwood, do not get 
down into the filler. To avoid doing so, scrape away the 
old coating as soon as softened and at once wash up the 
alcohol with a rag. It is hard to prevent the remover 
from working on the filler, but it will injure the finish if it 
remains there. When it does get into the filler, it will be 
found better to apply more remover and remove all the 
filler, then refill. 

Whenever the workman feels any peculiar sensations 
in using removers, he should get into the fresh air as 
quickly as possible. He should watch for- symptoms of 
illness or for any unpleasant or abnormal feeling. Dizzi- 
ness and nausea often occur when using removers. Some 
speak of experiencing a prickly sensation. The eyes also 
smart, and in any case it is best to get fresh air, if only 
for a few moments at a time. 



CHAPTER XIII 
VIOLIN VARNISHING 

CHARLES READE was not only eminent in the 
literary world, but he was an acknowledged au- 
thority on violins, and here is what he said con- 
cerning their varnishing : " Gumlac, which for forty 
years has been the mainstay of violin makers, must never 
be used on a violin, not one atom of it. That vile, flinty 
gum killed varnish at Naples and Piacenza a hundred and 
forty years ago as it kills varnish now. Old Cremona 
shunned it, and whoever employs a grain of it commits 
wilful suicide as a Cremonese varnisher. It will not 
wear on account of its fragility, it is in every respect the 
opposite of Cremona gums. Avoid it utterly, or fail 
hopelessly, as all other varnishers have failed since that 
fatal gum came in." 

Fossil gum amber is the right kind for violin varnish- 
ing. It was used by the old violin makers of the 16th 
and 17th centuries, the varnish being finely colored in 
various tones or tints, as follows : Golden yellow, golden 
amber, golden orange, light golden red, deep golden red, 
dark ruby red, deep blood red, reddish amber, golden 
brown, reddish brown, and vary dark reddish brown. 

The wood is not stained, the varnish is. First the 
wood is sandpapered smooth and a coat of white or very 
pale varnish is applied, which is rubbed into the pores of 
the wood; this is left for a week, when a second coat of 
this varnish is applied. When this second coat has dried 
sufficiently it is rubbed down and polished. Then col- 
ored varnish is applied, from two to five coats, until the 

146 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 147 

required depth of color is reached. To do a good job 
will take about three weeks, and a finer job will take 
longer. The varnish dries slowly, hence produces a 
tough finish and is very durable. Where a job must be 
done in less time a different course will have to be fol- 
lowed, but it is said that the too rapid drying of varnish 
impairs the tone of the instrument. 

To do up an old violin, begin by sandpapering off all 
the old finish, down to the bare wood. Use at first No. 
i sandpaper, following with No. oo. On a first-class 
job it will take a day to prepare the instrument for the 
varnish. It requires infinite patience and care to get the 
whole surface as it must be in order to preserve its tone 
after finishing. Those who make a specialty of such 
work charge pretty well for it, but cheaper work would 
simply mean poor work, only to be done on a poor in- 
strument, such as the owner might do up himself with a 
can of store varnish. The prices charged for revarnish- 
ing old violins, including scraping off, etc., run all the 
way from $8.00 to $15.00, according to number of coats, 
color, and amount of time and labor spent on the work. 
An extra charge is made on the very costly instruments. 



CHAPTER XIV 

PREPARING AND USING FLATTING 
AND OTHER VARNISHES 

FLATTING varnish is one of the modern inven- 
tions in interior finishing. Its purpose is to give 
an imitation rubbed finish. Rubbing with pum- 
icestone powder is very costly, as it requires consider- 
able time and the use of skilled labor ; whereas, any ordi- 
nary painter can apply a coat of flatting varnish, and 
one coat will answer the purpose. There are several 
commercial brands of flatting varnish, under trade names 
which describe the nature of the article, as Flattine, Dul- 
line, etc. Flatting varnish may be prepared by any 
painter or finisher, from one of the several formulas in 
use. Here are a few : 

i. Dissolve four ounces of shredded wax in one 
quart of turpentine, which may be cold or warm or the 
wax may be melted and added to the turpentine, or both 
may be placed on a water bath. In another vessel place 
a gallon of hard drying copal varnish, or quick drying 
rubbing varnish, and place this vessel in another contain- 
ing hot water, and place both on the back of the stove. 
When both the wax and varnish are sufficiently heated 
they may be mixed together and well shaken. After 
about two days the varnish will be ready for use. It is 
very important that a perfect mixture of the wax and 
varnish is obtained in order to get good working and 
wearing results. 
2. Heat on the back of the stove until hot, or heat 

148 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 149 

on a water bath, always being careful not to let fire get 
too close to the fluid, one gallon of hard oil finish ; shred 
and add to the varnish six ounces of beeswax and stir 
the mass well. Then stir in two ounces of sweet oil, 
following this with three pints of turpentine, which will 
give about two gallons of flatting varnish. While still 
warm filter or strain through cheesecloth into varnish 
cans, and leave the cans open until the varnish becomes 
cool. The sweet oil is added for the purpose of retarding 
the setting of the varnish, which may be too rapid for 
good spreading. As some may object to the use of a non- 
drying oil in the varnish, there may be added, to offset the 
action of the oil as to its effects in making the varnish too 
soft, a tablespoonful of gold size japan to the gallon of 
varnish, if hard oil has been used, or double quantity of 
gold size if exterior varnish has been used. For windows 
use a good grade exterior varnish. 

3. This is a factory formula, which the workman 
can scarcely hope to prepare, but from it his knowl- 
edge of the subject will be enlarged. Saponify 10 gals. 
China wood oil by boiling in an ordinary varnish kettle 
with 11 gals, of water in which is dissolved 8 lbs. of 
sal soda and 1 lb. granulated caustic soda. In another 
vessel dissolve 20 lbs. alum in 20 gals, water, to be used 
later on. When the oil shows complete saponification and 
drops heavily from the stirrer, add 22 lbs. pale rosin, 
pulverized, so that it will melt quicker. As soon as the 
rosin is melted and thoroughly incorporated with the 
soap, add the alum solution, which will cause the mass to 
separate on stirring. Let the mass stand over night and 
then pour off all the water possible, or siphon off with a 
hose, place kettle again on the fire, and drive off re- 
mainder of water by heat. Then dissolve the residue in 
70 gallons of turpentine. Mix equal parts by measure 
of this dilute soap and any Manila or kauri varnish you 
may wish to dry flat. Of course a rubbing varnish is 



150 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

most easily flatted in this way, while a slow drying coach 
or exterior varnish will not suit the purpose. 

From the formula given it will be seen that other things 
may be used in the place of wax, for in this factory article 
there is no wax of any sort used, yet a flatting varnish is 
produced. Yet there are other substances also that may 
be used in the preparation of a flatting varnish, such as 
China clay and glue. Glue is cheaper than beeswax. 
Japan wax also may be used. Or the dull effect may be 
produced by means of alkali, which some manufacturers 
employ, as in the formula given. Such a varnish would 
not give good service; it would be a sort of emulsion. 
Some add coal oil or kerosene oil to the varnish, saying 
that it gives the desired dull effect and a very uniform 
surface, but it is probable that such a varnish would give 
very unsatisfactory wear. Others add some linseed oil 
to genuine beeswax flatting varnish, instead of sweet oil, 
using two ounces of the linseed oil to the gallon of var- 
nish. The linseed oil serves as a binder, and assists in 
the spreading of the varnish, making it flow better, leav- 
ing no brush marks or laps. But there is danger of the 
linseed oil and wax separating, instead of binding, while 
no such objection has ever been urged against sweet oil. 

Flatting varnish should be made and applied thin, 
which will insure a free flow and an even surface. Be 
careful about laps. Use a badger hair brush, and lay 
the work off one way, feathering it the opposite way; 
work the brush quickly, as the varnish sets rapidly. That 
is why sweet oil is added, to prevent too rapid set- 
ting. 

Nothing looks worse than a flatted job all streaked and 
ropy, and real wax flatting will be harder to work than 
the commercial article, on account of the wax. If too 
much wax is added the finish will be too soft, and it is 
well to try the surface to see if this is so. 

New work may be filled in the usual way, shellaced, 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 151 

and given two coats of the varnish. Use clean pots and 
brushes, and finish parts at a time, to avoid laps. 

Flatting varnish is said to have originated with car 
builders, who desired some finish that would not cost 
much, and that would simulate hand-rubbed work. The 
house decorators were not long in perceiving its advan- 
tages, yet no high class decorator favors its use, but be- 
lieves it lowers the tone of the trade, as he puts it. Cer- 
tainly it is not a durable finish, inside or outside. It does 
as a makeshift for balusters and other turned parts not 
easily rubbed, and for that purpose may be used in con- 
nection with hand-rubbed work. 

VARNISH AND ITS APPLICATION. 

There is a varnish made for each kind of work, and a 
varnish made to fit almost any price. The varnish used 
should therefore be one that is adapted to the purpose 
in view ; interior varnish for interior work, exterior var- 
nish for exterior work, high-grade varnish for best quality 
work, and cheap varnish for cheap work. If we try to 
polish on rubbing, or rub on polishing varnish, or apply 
inside varnish outside and vice versa, we invite trouble. 
It is usually best to use the goods of one good varnish 
maker, rather than use two or more different makes, and 
this more particularly on the same job. 

One of the most frequent troubles with varnish comes 
from the high pressure rate at which work is turned out 
in most shops, inferior grades being used, necessitated by 
the hurry, and often the addition of driers. Then the 
work may not be in proper condition for receiving the 
varnish, it may be dusty, dirty, or even greasy. And if 
the varnishing room is too cold at night the varnish is 
very apt to creep, which is a frequent trouble. The var- 
nish has had a chill after it was placed in the drying 
room, which was too cold. The chilling causes an uneven 



152 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

flow of the fresh varnish. Then the cans of varnish must 
be handled right ; if roughly shaken up pitting may fol- 
low. This is due to the fact that the varnish, in the 
shaking up, has taken in some air or gas in the can, which 
before was on top, and this is why some varnishers leave 
a can to stand a while open, after it has been shaken up, 
as in delivery, etc. This allows the air or gases to es- 
cape. 

Carelessness or improper methods on the part of the 
workman may also be responsible for a poor job. For 
instance, if varnish is applied too heavy the drying is 
unduly retarded and the finish is apt to present an appear- 
ance known as crimping, a sort of ridgy effect. Also the 
thinning of varnish with turpentine by the workman will 
injure the gloss. Thinning is sometimes done to make 
the work easier, but it is wrong, of course. 

Some varnish will dry on the surface, and one may con- 
clude that it is dry all through, when it is not. If then 
another coat is applied, on this undry under coat, there 
will be varnish trouble. It is safer to allow any varnish 
plenty of time for drying, say two days, before rubbing 
or applying another coat. 

Varnishing in a cold or damp room is bad, or outside 
when the weather is not warm and dry. If varnish must 
be used under such conditions then warm it and keep it 
warm as you apply it. 

Flowing varnish, possessing great elasticity, is the most 
injured by thinning. In fine cabinet finishing it is often 
the practice to reduce the first coat of varnish a great 
deal, thinning with turpentine, so that it will penetrate the 
wood better, act as binder, seal the pores of the wood, 
and so make a good foundation for the succeeding coats 
of varnish. After that coat the varnish is used straight, 
no thinning, and allowing plenty of time for hardening. 
If it appears necessary to thin out a varnish first warm 
the turpentine and varnish in separate vessels, then add 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 153 

the turpentine a little at a time, shaking well meantime, 
which will cause a more perfect amalgamation of the two 
than can be done in the cold state. Varnish should never 
be thinned on the last coat. The varnish may be cold, or 
the room cold, then you want more heat, not more tur- 
pentine. 

Another trouble to be feared in thinning with turpen- 
tine is the fact that there is adulterated turpentine, and 
some of it has been known to contain fifty per cent, of 
petroleum oil. Such a thinner would cause varnish to 
dry sticky. We are informed that a furniture maker lost 
an order of two car loads of furniture through the use of 
such adulterated turpentine. It would seem that benzine 
would make a safer thinner than turpentine, for it will 
not injure the varnish, but will evaporate entirely, and 
not flat the varnish, as turpentine does to some extent. 

Varnish is a very delicate liquid to manipulate, at 
least this will apply to the better grades, for the finer the 
varnish the more delicate it is, and the more care is 
necessary in the handling or application. In its making 
certain conditions must be met and observed exactly ; in 
its application and subsequent handling there are condi- 
tions again, which must be observed. No chance work 
will do. Varnish will not give the best results unless it 
has ventilation and fresh air for drying in, and the tem- 
perature too must be right, beginning with seventy-two 
deg., and increasing this up to something over ioo deg. 
in order that the drying may not be entirely on the out- 
side. Then after all has been done to achieve good re- 
sults, and no possible cause can be found for any bad re- 
sults that follow, it is best to interview the maker of that 
varnish, for he may be able to throw some light on the 
subject. Sometimes we may see at the bottom of the 
empty varnish barrel a lot of sediment, and that will indi- 
cate that the varnish maker did not filter his goods, as 
should be done with high-class goods. Filtering would 



154 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

have removed that sediment. When a varnish has been 
properly made, prepared, and placed in clean vessels it 
must of course come forth clean and allow the finisher 
to do clean work. 

PRACTICAL POINTS ON VARNISHING. 

The less varnish is worked under the brush the better 
its luster. 

Thin varnish does not bear out well, and if too heavy it 
will not spread and level up smoothly. 

Light bodied varnish will flow out easily and not show 
brush marks, as heavy bodied varnish often does. 

Heavy bodied varnish should not be brushed out much, 
but be flowed on full, so that it will level up itself. 

If your brush is too small for the work, or if you work 
the varnish too long, expect brush marks. 

Use clean brush and pot, clean varnish and clean over- 
alls. See that the surface is clean before beginning to 
varnish. 

Never wet the brush with oil or turpentine while var- 
nishing. 

Allow a coat of varnish plenty of time for drying hard. 

Use that varnish that was made for that particular pur- 
pose. 

Often a varnished surface, some hours after varnish- 
ing, appears quite dry, and it is, but the surface only may 
be dry, and the under portion quite soft. 

Very deep-pored wood requires a lot of filler, and 
hence the article of this kind of wood will need to have 
slower and longer continued drying, in order to dry the 
filler. 

On light colored work it is the practice of some to thin 
down the varnish, but it would be much better to use a 
paler varnish, rather than thin down a dark varnish. 

If your varnish brush should fall out of your hand, on 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 155 

to the floor, hold it over a vessel and pour benzine over 
it, to wash off the dirt. Then put in a clean cup of var- 
nish, work it around in that, then scrape it across a knife 
into another cup. Repeat until the brush is clean. 

Number of Coats of Varnish. — As a general thing too 
many coats of varnish will tend to cracking, owing to un- 
even drying, though of course were each coat perfectly 
hard-dry before applying another coat the liability would 
be very much less, if not entirely avoided. But we must 
take the case as it is, for varnish is never given sufficient 
time to dry hard. The old shop saying was, 

" One coat of varnish never cracks, 
Two coats seldom crack, 
Three coats often crack, 
Four coats always crack." 

The character of the job, whether good, fair, or poor, 
usually determines the number of coats that should be 
given. If the coats are all of the same varnish cracking 
is not so liable to follow as where different varnishes are 
used. It is certainly known that a large number of coats 
of varnish may be given without any failure of the coats 
to stand and wear well. Varnishes differ in many ways. 
Some require as much as seven days to dry, while others 
will dry inside of twenty-four hours. Perhaps most var- 
nish troubles come from insufficient time allowed for dry- 
ing. 

Varnish to Resist Heat. — Varnish designed to with- 
stand a high degree of heat is made from a gum that 
melts or discolors at a higher temperature than that 
which the varnish is subject to. Baking varnish is such 
an one. Asphaltum is soft, yet it stands a high degree 
of heat, and is useful for coating automobile parts, etc. 
The high heat of the baking oven causes it to become very 
hard and lustrous. 

Characteristics of Good Varnish. — It should remain 



156 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

brilliant after the evaporation of the liquid medium and 
present a hard, dry surface, instead of a soft, or tar- 
nished surface. It should adhere closely to the surface, 
and not scale when it becomes dry, even after a long 
time. Linseed oil varnish should be clear, and show no 
turbidity or have any solid bodies in suspension. Leav- 
ing it at rest fourteen days in a moderately warm place 
should clarify it, unless it has been adulterated with 
rosin oil. A very slight amount of sediment may be 
looked for in the best of varnish, less than ^4 °f one 
per cent, after standing several months ; inferior varnish 
will often show as much as seven per cent., it being 
imperfectly clarified. 

Aged vs. New Varnish. — There is usually more or 
less doubt about the age of a varnish, and it is well when 
possible to keep on hand a large supply, so that it can 
be stored for a time, a year at least. If you buy aged 
varnish you pay the varnish maker his charges for what 
it costs him to store it away in tanks, and you can save 
money by doing this yourself. Get it in drum or barrel, 
and draw it off so as not to disturb the foots. Old var- 
nish wears better than new, but on cheap work it does 
not pay to age it, though age would improve its quality. 

Effects of Temperature. — Keep your varnish stock in 
an even temperature, ranging from 65 to 75 deg., as may 
be convenient. The degree of humidity should be low. 
75 deg. is about the best temperature for working varnish 
in. This temperature makes the application of varnish 
easy, and induces drying that will be more uniform, dry- 
ing more from beneath the surface. A high degree of 
heat has the effect of drying the surface at once, and this 
protects the under portion from drying. Also, too high 
a temperature, some advising as much as no deg., will 
cause the undry varnish to flow out and make sags or 
curtains on work standing in a vertical position. At any 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 157 

rate, 75 deg. will do no harm, and is not an excessive tem- 
perature to work in. 

By all means avoid letting varnish become chilled, 
either in the can or on the job, and it is a good idea to 
varnish in winter during the morning and mid-day, when 
the sun is at its best, where one cannot have it as warm 
as it should be in the shop. This gives the work a chance 
to partially dry before the colder night air gets at it. 
As regards exterior varnish in winter, it is again recom- 
mended to do it in the forenoon only. 

The Making of Varnish. — The varnish gum is fused 
or melted in a large copper kettle, and when melted the 
requisite amount of linseed oil, which has been heated to 
the same degree as the fused gum, is added; the gum 
and oil then readily unite, but to make sure of a perfect 
union, so that there will be no danger of the gum separat- 
ing from the oil, the cooking is continued for some time 
longer. Then the mass is allowed to cool down, after 
which it is thinned. The thinner may be turpentine or 
benzine. If turpentine, then the mass should not be al- 
lowed to get much below 300 deg., Fahr. With benzine 
it may be allowed to become much lower, owing to the 
very volatile nature of the benzine. If the varnish is 
not cooked enough it will work freely under the brush, 
but it will not hold luster nor wear well. 

In making pale varnish bleached linseed oil or poppy- 
seed oil is used. Such oils are prepared by boiling for 
a certain length of time with one or more of the various 
salts of the heavy metals, such as lead or manganese, or 
both in combination, then adding to the melted gum. 
When the oil and gum have been thoroughly mixed and 
have obtained the required consistency, the solvents are 
added, after which the liquid mass is filtered and stored 
in settling tanks to age. 

A varnish carrying 100 lbs. of kauri gum and 25 gals. 



158 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

of oil will require from 25 to 35 gals, of turpentine as a 
thinner; the gum will bulk 5 to 9 lbs. to the gallon, ac- 
cording to loss in melting or fusing. The loss in thin- 
ning may be estimated at 10 per cent. This, with the 
loss in varnish bottoms or settlings, in kettle and tank, 
would result in a product of about 60 gals, of salable 
varnish, providing 30 gals, of turpentine had been used 
in the thinning. 

Short and Long Oil Varnish. — We divide varnishes 
into long-oil and short-oil kinds. The first is one that 
contains the maximum amount of oil, from 20 to 40 gals, 
to the 100 lbs. of gum. The last may contain from 5 
to 15 gals. Furniture varnish, hard-oil finish, and cabinet 
varnishes are made on the short-oil basis. Rubbing, 
polishing, architectural and interior varnishes are made 
on the long-oil basis. Piano varnish has little oil in it, 
dries very hard, hence takes a very high polish, but is 
too hard a varnish for ordinary service. For interior 
work subject to much handling, and where a brilliant 
gloss is desired a hard gum short-oil varnish may be 
used. Varnish intended to stand water must contain 
enough gum to keep the oil from turning white; the ad- 
dition of wood oil in long-oil varnish will make it water- 
proof. Railway, carriage body, coach, implement, and 
other durable varnishes usually contain an excess of oil. 
For furniture not subject to rough usage a rosin short- 
oil varnish will answer, but articles receiving hard usage 
will need a varnish rather long in oil. 

As a rule the varnish long in oil will wear better than 
a short-oil varnish, but its luster will not be as good. A 
long-oil varnish dries slowly, hardens more thoroughly 
than a short-oil varnish, and retains its elasticity better. 

Some Varnish Notes. — There is no essential difference 
between coach and cabinet varnishes, they being prac- 
tically identical in manufacture and materials ; it may be 
added, however, that if anything the former are made 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 159 

from a better grade of materials and more care is taken 
in their making. It is quite a common practice to take 
several brands of cabinet and coach varnish out of the 
same tank. 

Cheaper grades of varnish usually contain Manila copal 
and rosin. Of recent years, with China oil, the varnish 
maker has succeeded in producing a very durable varnish 
with treated rosin. By treating common rosin in a cer- 
tain way, usually by means of lime, zinc salts, etc., the 
rosin is hardened and made tougher, and such gum, dis- 
solved in a mixture of linseed oil and wood oil gives 
a very durable varnish, although one not equal to kauri 
gum varnish. 

The best varnish, viewed from any standpoint, is that 
made from good copal gum (and of copal there are many 
varieties), linseed oil, or China wood oil, or both, and 
turpentine. 

Sandarach varnish is used for varnishing the sounding 
boards of pianos. 

The most brilliant varnish is produced with gum mastic, 
the hardest with gum sandarach, and the toughest with 
shellac, which also is extremely hard. 

Copal varnish varies from a light amber to a dark rich 
brown, depending chiefly on the condition of the gum. 
As good varnish may be made from a dark copal gum as 
from a paler sort, as the color does not influence the qual- 
ity. If anything, the dark copal is a harder gum. 

VARNISH TROUBLES. 

Blistering. — Caused by oil or moisture under the var- 
nish. Or by heat acting on undry wood or sap. 

Blooming. — Too much driers, or varnish too new, or 
adulterated oil under varnish, or undercoat not dry, or 
dampness affecting the undry varnish. Fumes of am- 
monia, etc., in the air will cause it. Also frost. 



160 , THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Blotching is an aggravated form of pinholing. Cause, 
oily oi\ damp surface. Or turpentine mixed imperfectly 
with the varnish. Or improper thinning fluid was used. 
Bad cases also known as pitting and pocking. 

Bubbling. — When the varnish is too warm little bub- 
bles of air form under the brushing, but the trouble is not 
serious. Cool the varnish to proper temperature. 

Brush Marks. — Usually caused by working the varnish 
under the brush too much ; or by using a brush too small 
for the job. Or by too heavy a varnish. 

Brittleness. — Caused by presence of rosin, perhaps 
benzine also, too little oil, usually a cheap grade, and not 
fit for anything but the very cheapest work. 

Chilling. — Varnish will chill in cold weather in the 
can, unless kept in a warm room. Should not be used 
until made warm. The effect of chilled varnish is seen 
in the sandy or gritty condition of the varnished job. 
The specks are simply particles of gum, and what is re- 
quired is to heat the varnish enough to melt these particles 
and cause them to unite again with the oil, etc. The can 
may be set on two heated bricks, or on the back of a 
stove, with stopper out, and when warm fumes begin to 
come out it may be removed and the stoppers replaced 
again. Set it away in a warm place for two days, then 
try it again. 

Crimping. — Caused by too heavy a coat, or exposure to 
sudden change of temperature while in process of drying, 
or by applying the finishing coat before the under coat 
was perfectly dry. 

Creeping or Crawling. — Same as crimping. 

Chipping. — Enameling most affected. Caused by lack 
of harmony in the different coats of varnish used. Brit- 
tle material in the undercoats also a frequent cause. It 
arises from imperfectly dried undercoat, or from exposure 
to cold during drying, poor ventilation, varnishing in a 
cold room, or in a room with a damp floor. Sometimes 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 161 

called silking, when it occurs in a mild form, or corduroy- 
ing when in its worst form. 

Checking. — Caused by ammonia fumes, coal gas, wash- 
ing with hot water, or exposure to sudden and violent 
changes of temperature while drying. Crumbling same 
thing. 

Silking. — In its mildest form known as enameling. 
The appearance of the work is similar to that of a piece 
of silk cloth, hence its name. It may come from working 
in a cold room, or from applying varnish to a very cold 
surface, or exposure to cold draft of air during drying, 
undry under-coats, mixing turpentine with the varnish. 

Sinking In. — Shows a dead appearance. Various 
causes. Imperfectly seasoned lumber, undercoat un- 
dry, porous undercoat, varnish from a newly opened 
can, but mostly undry undercoat and poor foundation. 

Sweating. — When gloss reappears after the rubbing 
it is called sweating. Caused by rubbing before the 
coat is sufficiently dry. Let the coat harden, rub again, 
and apply following coat promptly. The long-oil var- 
nishes are most liable to sweat. 

Seedy. — See chilling. 

Sandy. — Surface looks as if fine sand had been scat- 
tered over it, something like chilling. Causes, unripe 
varnish, chilling of varnish by extreme cold, skinning 
over of the varnish used, before using, dirt or pumice 
powder, dust, granular particles from dirty varnish 
brush, chemical change in varnish due to extreme age, 
and precipitation of gum in varnish by extreme cold. 

Sagging. — Varnish has been applied too freely or in 
too heavy a coat, causing it to flow down " curtains," 
or " festoons." 

Sissing or Cissing. — Same as crawling, which see. 

Tears. — Small but heavy runs, mostly about moldings, 
etc. Uneven application of varnish is the cause. 

Turning White. — Due to action of heat or moisture 



162 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

or both on varnish containing rosin; alcohol also turns 
such varnish white. 

Wrinkling. — Also crinkling. A shriveling up of the 
varnish coat. Due to unripe varnish, but mostly to un- 
skillful handling of the varnish under the brush. 

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES. 

Loss of Brilliancy. — The loss of luster or brilliancy 
is not always due to an improperly cooked varnish, as 
we who use varnish know. If varnish is applied over 
an insufficient foundation it is sure to sink in and of 
course lose its oil and gum, to a certain extent, leaving 
a thin coating on surface. A linseed oil varnish, it may 
be added, will not stand out over a poor surface as well 
as one containing China wood oil. 

Skinning Over of Varnish. — Exposure to the air will 
result in a skin forming over exposed varnish, and if this 
skin is not removed completely it will cause a specky 
appearance on the job. Better strain the varnish through 
fine muslin before using. Exposure to the air for some 
time will also cause the varnish to become fatty or 
livered, in which condition it is not fit for use. 

The Drying of Varnish. — The expression, " drying 
from the bottom up," or, " from the top," means the dif- 
ference between the surface drying of boiled oil and the 
more uniform drying of raw oil with driers added, as 
in paint. Taken literally the statement is incorrect, be- 
cause oxidation or drying must occur at the surface of 
the varnish or paint, and not at the bottom ; but the term, 
" drying from the bottom up," as I have stated, indicates 
a certain process that is different from the usual dry- 
ing of paint or varnish, or oil that is a strong drier or 
has had driers added to it. What Mr. A. M. Heath, 
a manufacturer and writer, has said concerning the dry- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 163 

ing of oil and paint will apply equally well to the drying 
of varnish containing oil. He says : 

" We have carried through a great many experiments 
over different surfaces under actual painting condi- 
tions, both on new and old surfaces, and watched the 
penetrating and drying, under different conditions, of 
both raw and boiled oil. While both dry by oxygen ab- 
sorption from the outside, the assimilation of oxygen 
by raw oil is slow and permeates the entire mass which 
gradually thickens and becomes almost gummy through- 
out long before it finally surface dries. The observed 
fact in actual painting that raw oil becomes rather hard 
and dry at the bottom before it films over on the surface, 
is no doubt due to the fact that during this long con- 
tinued gumming, the paint at the bottom has partially 
dried by absorption into the wood. 

" You no doubt have tried experiments along the lines 
of drying of linseed oils whereby a raw and boiled oil 
mixed with a pigment if applied by itself on a non- 
absorbing surface, such as a glass slab, was watched, and 
it was found that before the raw oil had shown any in- 
dications of setting the boiled oil had formed a decided 
skin or film over the surface, and if this skin was re- 
moved from the boiled oil, the under-lying oil was in 
principally the same condition as when applied to the 
glass. Watching the raw under the same conditions, 
you no doubt have found it requires from forty-eight 
to seventy-two hours before any skin or film is formed 
on the surface, depending upon drying conditions, that, 
however, the oil did show, during this time, a tendency 
to thicken and become tacky. If you ever carried this 
through on the basis of determining the percentage of 
oxygen or increase in weight which the oil takes on, 
you would have found that at the end of forty-eight 
hours it had commenced to increase in weight, showing 



164 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

it had absorbed oxygen and that it showed a steady gain 
until the maximum amount was reached when the oil 
had become dry, and would then commence to throw off 
weight and the mass hardens. 

" Raw oil watched under these conditions would show 
that the oxygen is absorbed more uniformly throughout 
and the thickening is really the oxidizing of the oil, and 
in place of being entirely a surface-drying, is a drying 
throughout, and if the skin or film which finally forms 
over the surface, is lifted or removed, it will be found 
the remaining oil is much heavier or more thoroughly 
oxidized than is the oil under the boiled oil film." 

Uncorking Varnish Before Using. — It is claimed by 
some experts that varnish should be opened up to the 
air, in the can, before using, this in order that any ac- 
cumulated gases or air may escape. Two or three days 
should elapse, they say, before using. Experiments seem 
to bear out this idea. But two or three days would seem 
to be entirely too long to expose varnish in the can to 
the air, there being danger of its skinning over. But 
opening to a few hours' exposure would result in no 
harm, provided the can was in a place free from dust, 
etc. 

Temperature of Work and Stock Room. — What 
would be the right temperature for a filling, rubbing, 
varnishing, and stock room ? One varnish room we know 
of is heated up to ninety deg., and it seems to affect the 
woodwork, but when the temperature is lower the var- 
nish does not flow right. Much depends upon the var- 
nish and the wood. The varnish may be a rapid drier, 
suitable to a high temperature, or a slow drier, best 
suited to a low temperature. If the wood is not per- 
fectly dry it will be affected by extreme heat, causing 
excessive shrinking. Hence, a low temperature is best 
for the wood if it is not dry, and of course mostly it is 
not perfectly dry. But if the wood is perfectly dry then 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 165 

the high temperature will not affect the same. Filling 
and rubbing go best in a rather high temperature, yet not 
too high. The same with varnishing. Most writers on 
the subject of the drying of varnished stock seem to for- 
get that unless the woodwork is dry extreme tempera- 
tures, some advocating no deg., will surely shrink it 
more or less. 

Varnish Cracking. — Cracking of varnish may arise 
from quite a variety of causes, of which we will mention 
a few. In the first place, the addition of driers for 
hardening will often cause cracking, especially when the 
work is exposed to the sunlight. These are distinguished 
by a silky appearance caused by their extreme fineness 
and closeness. These may open out much wider later 
on. Cracks caused in this way are sharp and clean, like 
a razor edge, and cross the work in all directions. If 
the driers has been used in any of the under coats, the 
fact will be indicated by the depth of the crack. Ap- 
plying a hard, quick-drying coat of varnish on a soft 
under coat is also liable to produce cracking, which, of 
course, will affect any coat which is placed upon it. 
This may also be traced to the application of a glaze 
coating previous to varnishing, or to a gold size and turps 
flattening on an oily groundwork. Gold size cracks can 
be told by their tendency to follow the direction of the 
brush work, the softer and more rounded edges than 
in the former case ; they are also less numerous and more 
open in character. The application of a size coat upon 
a hard, non-porous ground previous to varnishing, such 
as occurs in cheap jobs, or in re- varnishing, will some- 
times be productive of cracks, especially if the size be 
strong. These are generally in polygon shapes with the 
edges curling outward. 



CHAPTER XV 
FINISHING HARD WOOD FLOORS 

THE filling and finishing of a hard wood floor dif- 
fers little from the finishing of hard wood any- 
where, whether in furniture or house construc- 
tion. One particular point, however, is to see that the 
floor has plenty of time for drying and hardening before 
it is used. People are so anxious to get into the new 
house that the floor finisher is not given the time he 
should have for doing the floors properly. 

An oak floor will need to be paste-filled, giving it 
full and plenty, and allowing about fifteen minutes for 
setting, then rub off in the usual way, across the grain, 
using burlap or tow. Let the job then stand about twenty- 
four hours, then sandpaper smooth, and apply a surfacer, 
say a thinned copal varnish. Sandpaper again, and for 
a good job apply two coats of rubbing varnish, rubbing 
the first coat to remove the gloss, and rubbing the second 
coat with pumicestone powder and water. Clean up, let 
dry, then polish with wax. Or with floor varnish if de- 
sired. 

A close-grained wood, like maple, etc., does not need 
paste filling. Use shellac or liquid filler, according to 
character of job and kind of wood ; maple is best done 
with white shellac, and so with any light-colored wood. 
Georgia pine should be paste filled, to fill the soft parts 
often met with in that wood, and this filling will make 
the parts as hard as the rest. When dry and rubbed 
down, apply two coats of white shellac. Such a floor 

166 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 167 

should be rubbed once or twice a month with polishing 
oil, to keep it in fine condition. In another part of this 
work we give formulas for revivers or renovators. 
Crude petroleum is a very good one. 

A good dull floor finish may be made by dissolving 
one pound of wax in a quart of crude oil, applied with a 
bristle brush. It is well to have a can of this on hand, 
for touching up worn or bare spots. 

For a waxed floor, varnish makes the best foundation. 
Some finishers think waxing on the bare wood the best 
way, giving two coats of wax, but a filled wood will give 
better wearing results. 

As wax is easily affected by water, to preserve it from 
such agency apply a thin coating of a varnish made from 
best copal varnish 6 parts, boiled oil 6 parts, and turpen- 
tine io parts, well mixed together. Observe that the 
coating must be very thin. It will preserve the flat 
effect of the wax, having the characteristic dull luster. 

Hard maple floors should have two or three thin coats 
of pale shellac varnish, each coat rubbed down well with 
sandpaper, the first coat very thin. 

Some hard wood floors may be given a coat of raw oil 
with a little japan drier and a very little turpentine. 
When dry, fill in the usual way with paste filler, filling 
the cracks with paste filler made stiffer with silica and 
colored to match wood. Finish with shellac, and sand- 
paper smooth, following with rubbing with powdered 
pumicestone and oil. 

Never apply oil to a maple floor, as the oil will darken 
the wood, unless darkening is not undesirable. 

A hard pine floor may be shellaced, then waxed and 
polished. Or just two coats of wax on the bare wood, 
the last coat to be rubbed to a polish. Some have had 
good results by first applying a thin coating of raw oil, 
well rubbed in, and in about a half hour shellac. 

If a floor has to be done for quick use, color some 



168 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

orange shellac varnish with an earth pigment, thin up 
with alcohol, and give two coats, an hour between coats. 
By doing the work the evening before the floor will be 
hard enough to use the next morning. 

A painter says he takes a new hard wood floor and 
paste fills it, then when it is dry and rubbed off he gives 
it a coat of raw oil with a little japan in it, rubbing this 
well, and then lets the job harden. Then he applies a 
coat of thin shellac. 

The very first thing to do with any new wooden floor 
that is to be " finished " is to get it perfectly smooth and 
clean, just as one would do with furniture. 

A soft wood floor is best finished with a varnish, and 
the wood may be stained if desired, this being done on 
the bare wood. Of course, either varnish, shellac or wax 
may be employed as a finish. 

A cheap finish, and one that will at first have all the 
appearance of a strictly first-class job, may be done this 
way. Oil first, fill with some cheap filler, paste filler pre- 
ferred, apply a coat of shellac, one of varnish, rub off 
lightly, then polish with wax. 

Wax is not intended for hard service, but for beauty. 
Nor is it to be commended for an undercoating for var- 
nish, as it will not wear well. A good floor varnish, 
properly applied, thinned down well for each coat, is 
about the best finish outside of a hard paint. With care 
a varnished floor will retain luster and wear well for 
a term of years. One painter mentions a floor in a 
home where a family of average size was reared, that was 
varnished and lasted for twenty-seven years, looking well 
then. It was frequently cleaned off with milk. 

Objection is often made against a wax floor finish 
that it makes a dangerously slippery surface, but this 
can be avoided to a great extent by the manner of treat- 
ment. After the floor has been properly filled, carry it 
through with wax to the finish, without any shellac or 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 169 

varnish. Or if shellac be used, then apply only a very 
thin coat, and sandpaper it down well before wax- 
ing. 

It is not advised to use a wax finish for floors of bath 
rooms, entrance halls or kitchens. Wax finish is desir- 
able for residence apartment floors. 

Parquetry floors are usually finished with shellac. It 
maintains the light color of the wood, and prevents any 
oil or wax from darkening the wood, when applied after- 
wards. 

Varnished floors are desirable for hospitals and like 
places, because hard and easily wiped up. If wiped up 
occasionally with milk, and care taken as with a piece of 
furniture, a varnished floor will wear well for years. 

Floors of office buildings, stores and other public build- 
ings, where subject to hard and constant use, may best 
be treated with a non-drying oil, floor oil. Neither var- 
nish nor shellac would last long on such a floor. Very 
satisfactory results may be had by paste-filling or liquid- 
filling the wood, then rubbing it off. If that be not neces- 
sary, then apply a coat of raw oil with some japan in it, 
and finish with a liquid wax polish. Such floors may be 
washed without injury. They will not spot white, as 
hard floor wax will, and are easily cared for and re- 
newed. This method has been in successful use in some 
large department stores, office buildings, public dining 
rooms, and private kitchens, etc. 

At a summer resort on the New England coast, some 
floors of rift Southern pine, on piazzas of hotels and 
cottages, were treated with kerosene oil, after cleaning 
them off, and while the oil apparently sinks away, yet it 
seems to preserve the wood, looked and wore even, and 
did not show footmarks. 

A wax finish containing only beeswax and thinners 
will be soft and require renewal often, as compared with 
one composed of beeswax to which has been added a 



170 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

certain proportion of paraffin, which will make the wax 
slightly harder; it is easier also to polish. 

A new floor when waxed should be left over night 
before polishing, but an old floor may be polished as soon 
as the wax has been brushed over it. This may be done 
with a woolen rag, but the weighted brush is better. 
There are floors in France that are waxed and so highly 
polished that they reflect the furniture standing on them, 
and have been in use for 200 years ; nothing but beeswax 
has ever been used. 

Never use water, benzine or naphtha on a waxed floor ; 
use only turpentine as a thinner or washing-off fluid. 

Speaking of the wearing power of wax finish, an old 
grainer said that many years ago, in New York, the 
best houses had the front door grained, and that varnish 
was hardly ever used for the protective coating, but that 
wax, with a little varnish in it was used. He thought 
this method of coating gave the work a more natural 
woody appearance than varnish did, and he declared that 
wax gave better wear than the best exterior varnish did. 

In olden times floors were first oiled, then waxed, the 
result of which was that the wood darkened. They used 
beeswax dissolved in turpentine. Methods for finishing 
woods have greatly changed. Then the wood was fin- 
ished to preserve its natural color, with wax or varnish. 
Now an endless variety of stains is used. 

A finisher says he once did a fine oak floor, sand-pap- 
ering it until it shone with a luster equal to polish, using 
no oil on it. Then he waxed it. This gave a very fine, 
durable job, but was too costly. 

Cold raw linseed oil for a hard maple porch floor, well 
rubbed in, has been found to wear well. A mixture of 
two quarts of raw oil and same of turpentine, and one 
pound of beeswax, melted with the liquids rubbed into 
the floor, makes a good finish, but must be repeated at 
least once a year. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 171 



FINISHING A PINE FLOOR 

Varnish does not usually wear well on a hard pine 
floor. Hard pine, or yellow pine, as it is often called, is 
very generally finished natural — that is, without any 
stain. The wood is first given a coat of liquid filler, 
white shellac or linseed oil, and is then varnished. Or, 
instead of being varnished, it is given another coat of 
white shellac or is waxed. 

Now, if floors are made to look on and not walk on, 
this would suit the tastes of many, but as floors are in- 
tended to be walked on, it is, I believe, not a success. 
Unless the floor is most carefully protected it will soon 
wear off in spots, and will look black and disfigured. 
The casters will plow tracks in the soft wood, and the 
beauty of the finish is soon effaced. Probably every 
one of us has at times stood disconsolate before one of 
these disfigured varnished pine floors, and has been un- 
decided as to what was best to do. It is my conviction 
that a pine floor should never be varnished, and hardly 
ever shellaced. It should first be stained rather dark 
with an oil stain, and when thoroughly dry it should be 
given a coat of oil and turpentine, equal parts, and wiped 
dry. First wipe it across the grain with an oily cloth, so 
as to wipe the oil from the harder into the softer parts 
of the wood, and finally wipe it absolutely dry with a 
dry cloth. This should be repeated until the wood will 
absorb no more oil. When a floor is finished in this way, 
it will not scratch or wear off in spots. It can be re- 
vived at any time, and may be used immediately after- 
wards. 

The more a pine floor that is treated as above is worn 
the oilier and better it will look. It is not slippery, but 
gives a good hold to the foot, a matter of great impor- 
tance. In time it acquires a deep brown color, gives re- 



172 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

pose to the eye, comfort to the foot, and forms a proper 
ground for the other accessories in the room. 

As there is some difference of opinion respecting the 
use of a filler on woods before waxing it may be ex- 
plained here that one purpose of such filling, say where 
shellac has been applied, with wax over it, when you 
wish to clean up and renew the finish, it is easy to re- 
move the wax with turpentine, whereas, if the wax is 
on the bare wood, as advocated by some, a less uniform 
and clean result will be achieved. Where wax is washed 
off to the shellac foundation you have just as good a 
surface for the new coating of wax as when the floor 
was new. 

To prevent grease spots from injuring the floor, apply 
a mixture of equal parts of raw oil and turpentine, with 
a little japan, which will keep the oil from combining 
with the wax. 

For parquetry floors the best treatment is to apply, 
in succession, three coats of white shellac varnish, allow- 
ing each coat to dry hard, but they can also be waxed 
without any other treatment. 

The floors of the Lyons (France) hospitals are coated 
with paraffin thinned with petroleum, and applied quite 
thin. 

Some advise three coats of thin shellac for hard wood 
floor, sandpapering each coat lightly with fine paper, then 
a coat of wax, containing a little japan; rub to a polish 
with weighted brush. 

Another way is to paste-fill the wood, then apply two 
or three coats of shellac, sandpapering each coat lightly, 
and apply two coats of a good elastic or spar varnish. 
Allow each coat of varnish to dry thoroughly, sand- 
paper the first coat lightly to dull the gloss, then finish 
with wax. 

A method for some floors is the following: Apply a 
coat of good japan, made very thin with turpentine, let 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 173 

it dry, then rub lightly with fine paper, apply another 
coat, let it dry, then finish with one good coat of varnish. 
This finish is said to wear well. Wax instead of varnish 
may be used if preferred. 

Some kinds of flooring may be coated with hot linseed 
oil, well rubbed into the wood, and then wiped off; in 
two days give another coat. Then polish by hard rub- 
bing. A painter who has used this formula for years 
says the wood does not turn brown, though it will darken 
some in time. 

A method used by another finisher calls for a mixture 
of shellac thinned with alcohol and some good elastic 
carriage varnish, all well shaken together, then adding 
some good hard oil finish. Several coats of this are ap- 
plied and each coat rubbed. 

A mixture of raw oil and turpentine, half and half, 
well rubbed into a paste-filled floor, and rubbed fre- 
quently will give a fine surface. 

A prominent contracting painter says : 

" A general principle can safely be laid down, which is, 
to produce the finish in as few coats as possible. A hard- 
wood floor of quartered oak or other porous wood, should 
first be filled with a good paste filler. Beware of liquid 
fillers. Many of them are emulsions that can readily be 
dissolved by the use of hot water, and their action on the 
subsequent coatings of varnish is disastrous. After the 
paste filler is dry and hard, the floor may be finished in 
either shellac, varnish, or wax. Some painters prefer to 
give the floor two thin coats of shellac and let it severely 
alone. Others prefer two or more coats of good varnish 
made especially for the floors. Still others, and they 
seem to be in the majority, recommend a wax finish, in 
some cases applied directly to the floor over the filler, but 
generally used after a thin coat of shellac has been ap- 
plied over the paste filler. The prepared wax is ap- 
plied with a brush and polished by the use of a weighted 



174 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

brush. Beeswax alone is a rather soft substance for 
this purpose. The prepared waxes contain harder in- 
gredients, and make a more polished finish. 

The results of any of these methods for wearing qual- 
ity will largely depend upon good workmanship and the 
use of the best materials. It often happens that a job 
will turn out poorly after the painter has done his best 
and when his conscience is perfectly clear, knowing that 
he has used nothing but the best of materials, applied by 
skilled workmen. 

Frequently, after the lapse of a short time, the master 
painter is called upon to look at some of the floors he has 
finished, and their appearance may justify criticism. 
This happens most frequently on a refinished floor. A 
new floor rarely turns out badly, unless a cheap floor 
varnish has been used. The master painter is at a loss 
to understand the cause of the trouble. He discusses 
with himself whether it is the shellac or varnish. The 
work was well done, the materials well recommended, 
yet the result is unsatisfactory, both to owner and him- 
self. He must assume the blame, and attempt to correct 
the trouble, often at considerable expense to himself and 
without guarantee that the same thing will not happen 
again. In such cases it is my opinion that the fault fre- 
quently lies in the materials used. The master painter 
has to suffer the consequences and the manufacturer or 
dealer is not considered by our customers, who place the 
responsibility wholly with the master painter. I was 
called into court last summer as an expert witness to 
give testimony on a painting job in dispute in a new 
building. All interior standing finish was done in var- 
nish, also certain floors throughout the building. I tes- 
tified that the interior was done with a very poor quality 
of materials, especially upon the floors. The whole 
looked very badly. A local varnish manufacturer, who 
supplied the goods, was called as a witness to testify to 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 175 

the quality of his varnish. When put upon the stand on 
oath, he was asked by the Judge, " What is the differ- 
ence between a floor varnish and any other?" His an- 
swer was : " There is no difference. They are all alike, 
except the label, as we see fit to mark our goods." I do 
not claim that reputable manufacturers are so un- 
scrupulous as that, for I have found excellent results 
from so-called floor varnishes which are made especially 
for that purpose, and would recommend them. 

Now, what could we advise for a durable finish for a 
hardwood floor? Shellac is good, varnish made for that 
purpose is the same. One may be better than the other 
to suit different conditions. Wax I will put in a class by 
itself, as there is not so much chance for inferior quality. 
Many shellacs in the market are not good enough to be 
used upon floors. Some varnishes that are not specially 
made for such work are not good. That being the case, 
it is up to the painter, if he intends to be honest, to pay 
for the proper material, and when he gets it to stand by 
it. 

Now it might be well to mention the master painter 
who means to do good work, and at the same time 
cheapen the cost on account of a low price for his con- 
tract. Instead of using a paste filler, he will substitute 
a liquid filler, which by all means should be condemned, 
especially upon floors. He may use shellac at a cost of 
$1.10 per gallon, and varnish at about the same price. 
Is it consistent to expect to obtain good results from such 
low-priced material? Such a grade of goods used upon 
floors should be condemned, not only by the painter but 
by the public. The sooner they are educated to pay the 
price for good work the better, for they will find it is 
economy in the end. 

Now, to get down to the subject, — the best treatment 
of floors for durability. As I have said, a great deal 
depends upon workmanship and the best grade of mate- 



176 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

rial. In my experience, I consider the less body of 
material upon the floor the more wearing quality it will 
possess. Wax having the least, consider it preferable to 
either shellac or varnish. For a hardwood floor shellac 
will come next, having less body than varnish. I would 
avoid using shellac for an undercoating for varnish, as 
much as I would varnish under shellac finish. But un- 
fortunately, as much as we wish to produce the best re- 
sults, the limit of time required to finish a floor entirely 
in varnish would, in many cases, be out of the question. 
Wax, on the other hand, can be used and finished more 
quickly than any other treatment, and when properly 
done makes a more beautiful surface than either shellac 
or varnish, and is more easily kept in condition, pro- 
vided the work is brought up properly. Floors require 
a great deal of attention to keep them in proper condi- 
tion. The public expect floors when done to last for 
years, without giving them any care, and the painter is 
blamed for poor wearing qualities. They forget that 
iron, marble, or wood will wear down. That being the 
case, what can be expected from a shellac or varnish? 

POLISHING HARD WOOD FLOORS. 

With a growing tendency toward the adoption of hard 
wood floors for public buildings, hospitals, show-rooms, 
dancing rooms, and the large rooms of many private 
houses — either in the form of maple or oak boards four 
inches wide, tongue-grooved and secret nailed, or the 
familiar block flooring as used in schools and many public 
institutions, floors that show up to the best advantage if 
frequently polished instead of being cleansed with water 
— there has been quite a number of machines invented for 
the purpose of imparting a polish ; one such in size and 
shape closely resembling a lawn mower with a revolving 
brush at the front to distribute the waxing solution as 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 177 

it drips from a vessel immediately above, followed up 
by a series of reciprocating brushes to impart a gloss; 
and another of two hinged boards arranged in the form 
of a triangle and worked over the floor — to and fro — 
by means of a long handle — provision being made for 
clipping polishing cloths on both boards enables one side 
to be used for distributing purposes and the other for 
drying off and imparting a final gloss. 

The first polishing of floors is often considered a 
laborious task that can be done by any unskilled labor, 
which is a great mistake. This class of work is generally 
undertaken by those who French polish shop fittings, 
who, owing to the cost of appliances made specially for 
the purpose, ofttimes make a fairly satisfactory job by 
the experiment of screwing a number of scrub brushes 
on the underside of a strong box which can be weighted 
with bricks and pushed or pulled along the floor. 

It occasionally happens that firms that undertake the 
painting and decorating of rooms with hard wood floors 
may be asked to undertake the finishing or renovating of 
the floors as well. 

In the event of its being built up of the old style of 
floor boards, the shrinkage of the boards, with the in- 
herent open joints and nails showing, does not tend to 
enhance the appearance of a well polished floor, these 
defects should be corrected by the insertion of wedge- 
shaped slips of similar wood, and the nails punched in so 
that they can be hidden with putty. 

If such a floor has to be undertaken, or even a hard 
wood floor that has become dirty through long neglect, 
a thorough cleansing is half the battle toward success. 
This is best accomplished with a strong solution of wash- 
ing soda, when dry brush over with linseed oil, or equal 
parts of oil and turps, then sprinkle freely with dry saw- 
dust, to be brushed well about to dry up the moisture; 
this, if afterwards scrubbed over the floor with a 



178 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

weighted brush, has the effect of scouring down any ap- 
parent roughness and imparting a slight gloss. 

When the floor is freed from the sawdust, it is after- 
wards wax polished. If a first class job is desired pum- 
ice powder or steel wool is used instead of sawdust, es- 
pecially on hard woods. 

As already explained, the weighted box arrangements 
offer a useful idea when the floor is only intended to be 
done once, in order to leave it as clean as it was found 
when decoration was commenced, or for the purpose of 
cleansing an otherwise dirty floor. Even with this 
trouble there are times when by reason of unsightly 
stains showing through, some bleaching preparations 
may be required to gain a perfectly clean surface. For 
this purpose dissolve I lb. oxalic acid in iy 2 gallons of 
hot water and brush the solution over the affected parts. 
If the stains are not very deep, the effect is ofttimes 
magical. If not effective repeat several times; in ob- 
stinate cases try the effect of a strong solution of chlo- 
ride of lime, followed up with oxalic. The general re- 
sult of these bleaches is to cause a clean patch that shows 
up much lighter in color than the rest of the floor and 
may bring about the advisability of bleaching the whole 
of the floor. In this case the acid need not be used so 
strong. In all cases when bleaching has been adopted 
its further action should be killed before applying oil 
or wax by means of a liberal application of common 
vinegar. Neglect of this precaution ofttimes results in 
the acid that lingers in the open grain eating the waxing 
preparation away, or causing white patches to show up 
in a few weeks' time. 

Where it is desired that the floor should be periodic- 
ally polished and kept in good order, the initial cost of 
the provision of brushes and accessories made especially 
for the purpose of floor polishing will be amply justified 
in the case, and simplicity of working, and a satisfactory 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 179 

finish, either direct from the bare wood or the subse- 
quent keeping of floors in good condition afterwards with 
a minimum of trouble. 

FORMULAS FOR FLOOR WAXES. 

i. A mixture composed of 2-3 melted beeswax and 
1-3 turpentine. 

2. Shave quite fine 4 oz. each of spermaceti and par- 
affin wax and add 8 oz. talcum powder. : Work together 
and pass through a No. 10 sieve. Makes dry wax com- 
pound for dance floors. 

3. Powder 20 oz. stearin, 5 oz. yellow beeswax, and 2 
oz. soap. Mix and sift together. For floor sprinkling. 

4. Yellow beeswax 2 lbs., raw linseed oil 1 pint, and 
turpentine 1 quart. Melt the oil and wax and add the 
turpentine later. It should be about the consistency of 
butter. 

5. Shave fine 1 lb. of white beeswax and boil with 1 oz. 
of pearlash in I quart of water. Stir until the wax 
melts and unites with the water. 

6. Dissolve y? lb. potash in 3 pints of water in a sauce- 
pan, on the stove. When the water comes to a boil 
throw in 1 lb. of finely shredded beeswax. Stir well 
until the wax has melted. Let it become cool. If too 
thick, add more water. Apply with a paint brush, same 
as paint, with the grain of the flooring, and when dry 
rub with heavy brush. 

7. An English method calls for a small quantity of 
spermaceti melted in a pan on the fire, and when melted 
take from fire and add turpentine until the mass is quite 
fluid. Use polish in the usual way, by rubbing, in this 
case with flannel. 

8. This is a good cheap wax floor: Dissolve *4 lb. of 
potash in 1 gal. of soft water, then place a pot on the 
fire and in it place ^2 lb. yellow beeswax, cut fine, add 



180 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Yz pint of the potash solution, then let the mass melt 
together on a slow fire. When perfectly united add the 
rest of the potash solution, let the pot remain on the fire 
and stir contents all the time. In course of time the 
mass will look like curdled milk, then add more water. 
When wanted for use warm it. 

9. To make a powdered wax for dancing floor, melt 
in 63 deg. benzine as much paraffin wax as the liquid 
will take up, then stir in talcum powder to form a fairly 
stiff paste. Rub through a No. 10 wire sieve, then 
spread out thinly on trays, to let the benzine evaporate. 
When the mass has become perfectly dry pulverize, 
place in tin cans with perforated tops, and use by 
sprinkling on the floor. 

10. A cheap floor wax may be made from ceresine 
wax or purified ozokerite dissolved in kerosene oil on a 
water bath or on a hot stove plate, but never on or very 
near a fire. 

POINTERS ON FLOOR WAXING. 

A waxed and polished floor is slippery, but if desired, 
when a floor is to be danced on, the wax may be removed 
and when the dance is done the floor may be re-waxed. 
The advantage of a waxed floor is in the fact that it can 
so easily be restored. It may be made new every day. 

It is extremely difficult to shred or cut beeswax with 
a knife, but if you will heat the knife there will be no 
trouble whatever. Place the knife for a moment in hot 
water, but wipe it dry before using to cut the wax. 

The addition of from 10 to 20 parts of rosin will make 
the wax harder. Some of the harder waxes, Carnauba 
or Japan, will also make it harder. Paraffin wax alone 
is too brittle for a floor wax, though it is sometimes 
added in some proportion, particularly the store goods. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 181 

It does not work soft, like beeswax, but is short and 
crumbly. 

Floor wax may be colored, annotta being one good 
coloring agent. Color according to wood that is to be 
waxed. 

Care should be observed in applying wax to a floor 
not to get too much on the surface, for it is soft and 
will show footprints. After applying the wax let it 
stand an hour or so, to let the turpentine evaporate. 
Rub to a polish with weighted brush, a 14-pound brush 
or one of less weight will do. After rubbing with the 
weighted brush polish further with same with old car- 
pet fastened over it. Let the job then stand until next 
day, then rub again with the carpet-covered brush. 

Don't forget that the wax may be hardened and made 
to dry quicker by the addition of a little japan driers. 

The secret of success with wax lies in applying it thin 
and rubbing it a great deal. 

Waxing a floor is not what some think, a cheap proc- 
ess, for labor is 80 per cent, of the cost of any job, and 
if the waxing is done right it will cost more than varnish. 

CRACK FILLERS AND FLOOR PUTTIES. 

In some cases, as where the wood is soft, it will be 
necessary first to apply a light coat of raw linseed oil, 
allowing this to dry. This has reference to the cracks 
only, unless it be desirable to oil the entire surface. 

Where a water-made filler is used the oil of course 
may be omitted. Glue size might in some cases be ap- 
plied before the water-made filler. All cracks should 
be cleaned of dust or dirt before filling. 

Cracks in New Floor. — Make a putty of common 
glue 2 parts, in 14 parts of water, and stir in 4 parts of 
plaster of Paris and 2 parts of dry litharge. This glue 



182 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

is best prepared by soaking it in the water until perfectly 
soft, then putting the vessel containing it in another ves- 
sel containing hot water, then set on the stove until the 
glue is dissolved. Then the other ingredients may be 
stirred in. 

Large Cracks in Floor. — Newspapers boiled to a 
pulp, adding wheat flour paste to form a stiff mass, is 
good. A little plaster in it is an improvement. Or 
putty made from cottage cheese 5 parts and powdered 
lime 1 part, mixed to a paste. This sets very hard, and 
may be colored if desired, but use only the earth colors, 
as others will be affected by the lime. 

Another way is to make the paper pulp and add to it 
the glue size and calcined magnesia to form a paste. 
Color if desired. Or, litharge 1 part, plaster of Paris 2 
parts, glue 1 part, water 8 parts, cement 4 parts, sawdust 
2 parts, casein 5 parts, water 30 parts, ammonia 3 parts, 
dry lime 3 parts. Soak the glue in the 8 parts water. 
Add the other dry ingredients and mix with the liquids, 
the 30 parts water last. 

Mix water glass and whiting made into a putty. 

To glue size add asbestos powder enough to form a 
paste. 

Mix one part air-slaked and sifted lime with two parts 
of rye flour, then add boiled oil to form a putty. 

Dissolve 4 oz. white glue in y 2 gal. of water, by boil- 
ing, and when done and allowed to cool to about warm 
stir in equal parts of fine sawdust and whiting to form 
a putty. 

Floor cracks may be filled with a mixture of whiting 
putty and coloring, with some varnish and drier to make 
it dry hard and quick. Paste wood filler makes a good 
crack filler, and a quick putty made from equal parts of 
whiting and dry white lead, thinned to a paste with a 
mixture of equal parts of turpentine, rubbing varnish 
and coach japan, and colored to match the wood, is good. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 183 

Doing a Large Dormitory Floor. — A painter had a 
large new school building to do, with a dormitory floor 
and others comprising in all about 20,000 square feet of 
yellow pine flooring. The contractor wanted a lusterless 
hard finish, but neither oil nor shellac was to be thought 
of. Wax was not mentioned. He wanted a good pre- 
servative and no gloss. The only thing in sight in such 
a case seems to be a good floor varnish rubbed off with 
curled hair, or rubbed down with water and pumice 
stone powder. Two coats were all that was to be given. 
We would apply one coat to the bare wood, let it have 
two days to dry in, then apply the second coat, and rub 
off the gloss, as suggested. 

Doing a Georgia Pine Floor. — Georgia pine does 
well waxed, applying the wax to the bare wood and ap- 
plying two coats. Such a floor must, however, be rubbed 
occasionally. Boiled linseed oil applied hot is good for 
a hard pine kitchen floor, but should be rubbed with oil 
at least once a month. 

A varnished floor will last much longer and look better 
when occasionally rubbed with linseed oil, which re- 
stores to the varnish the oil it loses from wear. 

Shellaced Floors. — When it is desired to keep the 
natural light color of a wood from darkening the use of 
white shellac is indicated. Shellac makes a nice finish, 
and is easily kept in condition by rubbing with kerosene 
oil to remove dirt and brighten it. Or linseed oil will 
do, if care is taken to wipe off all surplus oil. 

Dancing Floors. — Here the wear is heavy, but for 
that reason wax is best, for it is easily restored. Rubbed 
over with oil once in a while it looks very nice. When 
the wood is close grained it may be filled with wax and 
a second coat will give the finish. This will preserve 
the color of any light wood. 

Bath Room Floor. — Here the floor is subject to water 
and alkali. The wood may be any of the hard or close- 



184 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

grained woods used for floors. A prime coat of shellac 
may be given, then two coats of best floor varnish, rub- 
bing the first coat with curled hair to remove the gloss. 
The finishing coat may be gloss, or rubbed with water 
and pumice stone powder. Allow plenty of time be- 
tween the two coats of varnish. 

Formula for Making Floor Oil. — Mix together 
equal parts of neat's-foot oil, cottonseed oil and golden 
machinery oil, useful for floors of large public buildings, 
department stores, kitchen floors, etc. A cheaper oil, 
known as dustless oil dressing, is crude petroleum. 

PUTTIES AND CEMENTS FOR HARD WOODS 

A very hard cement for filling defects in wood can be 
made by melting one ounce of common rosin and one 
ounce of yellow beeswax in an iron pan, and when per- 
fectly melted stir in one ounce of Venetian red or other 
earth pigment, according to color of wood, until of the 
right consistency. This filler must be used while it is 
hot, for it becomes like stone when cold, adhering firmly. 

Dissolve one part of the best cabinet glue in 16 parts 
of hot water, and when dissolved and cool, stir in hard- 
wood sawdust of the desired kind or color and some whit- 
ing until like putty. 

Make a putty of fresh slaked lime one part, rye flour 
two parts, and raw linseed oil enough to make it into 
putty. Color to suit the work in hand, or use varnish 
instead of oil. Add together equal parts of red lead, 
white lead, litharge and chalk, all dry, and mix into a 
paste with linseed oil. 

Cabinetmaker's stopping for wood is called beauman- 
tique. It is made as follows : Put I tablespoonful of 
shellac, I teaspoonful of pulverized rosin, a lump of 
beeswax the size of a walnut, all into a cup or iron pot. 
Set this vessel on the stove and allow the centents to 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 185 

melt. For use on mahogany add a little Venetian red, 
to match the wood. For oak add a little yellow ochre or 
raw sienna, with a little umber or black for a darker oak. 
For ebony or rosewood add a little lampblack. Mix the 
mass well together. 

The stopping may be used in the liquid state, or it can 
be made into sticks like sealing wax, by pouring it onto 
a board and rolling it out like dough. This is the better 
way, and by having a variety of colors it is always at 
hand for immediate use. When wanted for use, it may 
be heated with a candle and run into the place it is in- 
tended for. Level it off with a chisel and make smooth 
with very fine sandpaper. 

If you have occasion to stop nails or other holes in 
hardwood, defer it until you have the second coat of 
shellac or varnish on. At least do it after there has been 
enough finish applied to bring out the true color of the 
finish, in which event you can match it with the putty. 
It is advisable to make the putty a little darker than the 
wood or finish. 

To make match-putty for hardwoods, or natural finish, 
use white lead, because whiting does not give clear colors, 
which lead does. A good formula is white lead mixed 
to a stiff paste with boiled oil, staining it to suit. 

Formula for Floor Varnish. — A floor varnish that 
will not scratch or mar white can be made from hard 
gum only, and all idea of using rosin, even in part, must 
be abandoned in the beginning. Fuse ioo pounds kauri 
gum or 50 pounds each of kauri gum and Congo or 
Sierra Leone copal ; when melted with 25 gallons varnish 
makers' linseed oil that has been boiled in another kettle 
with 20 pounds of litharge and 4 pounds manganese 
oxide, and when thoroughly amalgamated take kettle 
from fire to the thinning room and add gradually under 
constant agitation 15 gallons of turpentine, or if this be 
too expensive use 5 gallons turpentine and 10 gallons 



186 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

deodorized benzine. This will be, when cooled down, of 
rather heavy consistency, and if so, more turpentine or 
benzine should be added. To be fit for use the varnish 
must be filtered, or in lieu of that, strained and well 
settled. 

TREATING OLD OR SOILED FLOORS. 

Cleaning Natural Wood Floor. — Strew some white 
sea sand over the boards together with a solution of 
potash and water, one pound to the pint. Use a stiff 
brush, and scrub the way of the grain of the boards. 
Hot water and good soap also are good under vigorous 
scrubbing; but change the water often. Oxalic acid, 
strong vinegar, or nitric acid will remove ink stains. 

Coal Oil Stains in Floor. — Apply a strong and hot 
solution of oxalic acid, then use the scrubbing brush and 
soap with hot water, changing water often. 

Worn Maple Floor. — A floor having had three coats 
of white shellac varnish begins to show wear. Then 
renovate it every two or three weeks with a very thin 
coat of white shellac. Remove stain spots with benzine 
or turpentine. If very bad, then remove the shellac with 
varnish remover, after which apply shellac varnish or 
wax, as desired, for a finish. 

Soiled Wax Floor. — The floor has become sticky and 
streaked with gray from dust. Take a bunch of No. i 
steel wool and dip it into turpentine and rub off the floor 
carefully, wiping off the old stuff with cotton waste as 
you remove the wax. Then apply a fresh coat of wax 
and polish it. It may be necessary to apply two coats 
this way. 

Keeping a Waxed Floor in Good Condition. — Go 
over the floor once a week with a mixture of equal parts 
of turpentine, sweet oil and vinegar, using a soft cloth. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 187 

Polish after this with a clean soft cloth, which may be 
wrapped around a floor brush. 

Renovating Old Floor. — If the floor has been filled 
and finished in varnish or wax, the best thing to do is to 
get all the old stuff off down to the filler, with varnish 
remover or steel wool, if that is feasible. If you use 
the remover, be sure to first fill all cracks and crevices 
with putty, to prevent the remover getting into same and 
afterwards coming out to injure the finish. Turpentine 
or benzine will remove wax. Bare places in a fairly 
good floor may be touched up with shellac. 

Discolorations from Soap, Alkali, Etc. — To make 
such a floor look clean and bright is a difficult problem 
for the painter. A little savogran in hot water and a 
little powdered pumicestone under a scrubbing brush is a 
good thing. All bare spots that have become dark should 
be bleached out with dilute oxalic acid, and if necessary 
be touched up with stain and shellac. Oxalic acid 4 oz. 
to 3 pints water. 

Bleaching Old Oiled Floor. — The floor that has been 
oiled and become dark with time may be treated with var- 
nish remover, after which apply a very strong solution 
of oxalic acid, or else bleaching powder. The latter is a 
very unpleasant material to use, not a little dangerous to 
the health, hence it would be best to try the acid first, 
for it, while a poison, is perfectly harmless when handled 
with care. 

Re- Varnishing a Floor. — First see that all shoe marks 
and scratches are removed; try them with oil, and if this 
hides them you may apply the varnish. But if the oil 
does not hide the marks then sandpaper them until they 
are removed. Then varnish. 

Renovated Floors Need Cleaning Off. — When a 
floor has been cared for, cleaned and touched up, year 
after year, it will become too full of material to wear 



188 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

good, then it should be cleaned off with varnish remover 
or steel wool, whichever you think will be best for the 
job in hand. Clean off down to the wood, and renew as 
for a new floor. 

Cleaned-Off Floor Has Less Durability. — It is sel- 
dom likely that a re-cleaned or renovated floor will wear 
as long or as good as a new floor, due perhaps to the use 
of remover, a little of which may remain to injure the 
finish. It is well to use sal soda to clean up after the 
varnish remover, which will clean off down to the wood 
and leave a surface fitted for receiving the new coating 
and finish. But with all care it is hardly possible to re- 
move all traces of removers and acids, and the varnish, 
shellac or wax is sure to be more or less affected in 
process of time. 

Touching Up Old Varnished Floor. — It is best to 
touch up the bare spots with quick-drying flat color to 
match the remainder of floor in color, then give a coat of 
floor varnish to which color has been added to match the 
old color of the floor. The color in this case should be 
ground in japan or varnish, and only enough added to 
stain the floor varnish. 

Caring for the Floor. — Hardwood floors need to be 
polished about twice a year, and wiped the balance of the 
time with a soft cloth. Mud stains may be removed with 
a cloth and water and soap. But be careful to not use 
too much soap. Be careful when trying to remove stains 
with gasoline, and if gasoline fails try oxalic acid. 

SOME FLOOR NOTES. 

Be sure that the floor is scraped perfectly smooth be- 
fore any finish is applied. And use only the very best of 
varnish, if the job is to be a good one. 

To wax an old but bright varnished floor, rub down 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 189 

with pulverized pumicestone and water, then clean up and 
let dry. Then wax and polish in the usual manner. 

Before varnishing a pine floor, stop all cracks and crev- 
ices with common putty whenever that may be used. If 
the cracks are very large they will have to be stopped 
with paper pulp putty, described elsewhere. 

To finish white or yellow pine floors with varnish, fill 
with clear raw linseed oil, with a very little driers added, 
and finish with two coats of good floor varnish. 

A strong decoction of the inside of red-oak bark, set 
with copperas, makes a nice dye for floors. After rub- 
bing it in well and allowing it to dry, rub the floor with 
a waxed brush, which will give a polish. 



CHAPTER XVI 
SAP AND SEASONING 

IN no other wood does it require so long a time for 
the sap to die as in rosewood; in other words, for 
the albumen to coagulate. If the finisher wondered, 
as doubtless he often did, why rosewood acted so badly 
under the finish, he would have found the source of all 
the trouble he experienced in its slow dying of the sap. 
This sap acts upon the varnish, and piano-makers par- 
ticularly have been annoyed by this fact. A preventive 
has been suggested by some writer as follows : Wash 
the wood with a weak solution of phosphoric acid and 
then with alcohol. 

This is given, however, merely tentatively, or as a 
suggestion, for the writer had never tried it. The sug- 
gestion is based upon the idea that the phosphoric acid 
would coagulate the albumen on the surface of the wood 
immediately, while the alcohol would reduce it to an 
insoluble state. This is on the same principle as shel- 
lacing sap before finishing, thereby destroying the ac- 
tivity of the sap. 

Finishers now understand oak better than at first, and 
usually know why some specimens of this wood act so 
badly under the finish, while the same kind of wood under 
other conditions acts well. Oak is full of tannic acid, 
which is a very active agent. When cut in the growing 
season it contains much more albumen than when cut in 
the fall. This will explain the difference between speci- 
mens of the same species of oak. The oak is full of 
albumen, which in the circulation of the sap deposits a 

190 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 191 

large amount of soft matter on the lining of the wood 
cells. Of course, if this matter contains any acid it will 
act upon the filler. This acid acts especially upon starch 
filling, and many gums, such as are used in some fillers, 
are affected in the same way, becoming quite soft. The 
cure is in prevention; have the wood cut at the proper 
time of year. 

That there is a difference even in the same species of 
woods, say between French and American burl walnut, 
or Italian and Circassian walnut, is well known to the 
finisher. There is a difference in the vascular formation 
of the woods, no doubt, and this must account for the 
varying results with identical treatments. 

The woods we have just named require very different 
treatments at the hands of the finisher in order to get 
the most satisfactory results. And the way to succeed 
with the finishing of woods is to ascertain just what will 
suit each, this demanding study and experimenting with 
great patience. 

The finisher is advised to employ a microscope for 
examining the wood structure, for this will reveal to him 
the real structural character of the wood as mere unaided 
vision can never do. I have done this in finishing sam- 
ples, and it is not only very interesting, but instructive 
and even essential to good work. Take for example an 
oak panel, and you may find that part of its surface is 
very coarse of pore, and another part quite close. Now 
it is reasonable to conclude that the filling necessary 
for the one part will not answer for the other ; the same 
filler may do, but the filling must be different. In rub- 
bing off the filling we may pull out too much from the 
coarse, while the finer part will be all right. Again, with 
the microscope we may see whether the wood is well 
filled or not. We have seen furniture where the varnish 
on a part seemed to have sunk in, while on another and 
near-by part it stood out plump and full. As the work 



192 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

was done with the same filler and by the same workman, 
it will be safe to conclude that the difference was owing 
to the faulty nature of the wood, which fault should have 
been discovered and treated to make it right. 

Staining Ends of Boards. — The end of a board will 
take up the stain like a sponge, which gives the finisher 
considerable trouble, the ends showing up much darker 
than the rest of the work. One way to avoid this trouble 
is by filling the ends full of paste filler, but the disad- 
vantage here is that if you get on enough of the filler to 
fill the wood level full it will show the color of the filler, 
and give an opaque effect, hiding the wood itself. An- 
other plan is to wax the ends, either by placing wax there 
and heating it in, using a warm iron and spreading the 
wax over the end, or by rubbing softened wax on to it, 
using regular wax finish in turpentine. Or cold wax 
may be spread on with a flexible putty knife, made warm 
over a lamp. But the smoother the sawed ends are the 
easier it will be for the workman to finish them nicely. 

Shop Economics. — Instead of destroying the life of 
a filler by excessive thinning, in order to expedite the 
work, it should be used as heavy as possible, the work- 
man rubbing it in thoroughly. Filler is about the cheapest 
material found in the finishing room, and the man who 
puts it on ought to be competent, yet he needs not be a 
high-priced man. The idea is, to let the lower-priced 
man do as much of the work in the filling as possible, and 
thus save the time of a higher priced man who takes it 
up after the filling. By the observance of things along 
such lines as this there may be- a shop saving effected of 
fully twenty-five per cent. Labor costs fully eighty per 
cent, of the entire cost of finishing. 

Take care of stock and tools. Keep the paste and 
liquid materials well covered, free from dust, dirt and 
air; volatile liquids keep well stoppered, to avoid 
loss in evaporation. Shellac, varnish, and stain cups 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 193 

collect dust and specks when left lying around; keep in 
a closet. Brushes keep in a cabinet or keeper, never 
allow them to become dry or lousy. There is a good deal 
of waste permitted with tow in the filling room. After 
tow has been used a while it may be torn apart when dry 
shaking out the old filler; or pull apart while wet, then 
let it dry and shake out the loose filler. Then it may be 
used again, as good as ever. Sandpaper too, much is 
wasted that might be used ; certain parts of work may 
be rubbed down with worn paper better than with new. 



CHAPTER XVII 
STAINING BEFORE USING 

THE idea of staining wood before using it holds on 
so persistently and comes bobbing up from so 
many different points that it suggests a new era 
in the finishing room, an era in which the staining process, 
with all its attending troubles and wrangles, will be elim- 
inated and the work of finishing will be confined to that 
of smoothing off the work and applying fillers and pro- 
tecting coatings and polishes. 

The latest theory to receive attention in this connection 
is that of staining wood while it is yet in the tree. This 
is not a brand new idea; it has been experimented with 
for quite a number of years, and from time to time there 
have been announcements of remarkable results by in- 
jecting certain chemicals into timber while it is growing 
or before it is cut down. It has been claimed that one 
can develop almost any color scheme desired in this way 
and the idea has been advanced that at some time in the 
future this will be the process of giving wood its color, 
and, after being cut and worked, it will be finished nat- 
ural. 

Another idea along the same line consists in inject- 
ing stains or coloring matter into blocks and logs of 
wood after they have been cut. Some wonderful results 
have been obtained by this process. For example, the 
color designs of the stars and stripes and other national 
flags have been forced into timber so that when cut up 
into blocks the color design makes its appearance on the 
finished surface of every block. This is a German 

194 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 195 

process that has been in use for some time, but what it 
has attained in the way of commercial success in treat- 
ing cabinet wood is not known. In this country we have 
as the latest popular idea that of steaming cabinet wood 
under pressure to harmonize the color and deepen it a lit- 
tle, as well as to hasten the process of seasoning. This is 
really classed as a method of seasoning, but it does have 
some bearing on the matter of coloring or staining wood 
before using. There are some who use practically the 
same process, and, by injecting certain chemicals and acids 
into it, bring out certain stains or colors in the wood. 
Some call this a vulcanizing process, and it is finding 
favor for preparing oak, mahogany, gum and cherry, and 
there is a possibility that its use may be extended quite 
largely in preparing face veneer for use, as it should be 
practical to give them all a uniform color, and thus not 
only complete the staining before using the veneer, but 
make it through and through the wood, so that there will 
be no possibility of the stained surface working off. 

Other ideas and methods will likely be developed. The 
one thing strongly in evidence is that the idea of stain- 
ing wood before using is persistent and is likely to pre- 
vail. It will do a lot to rid the finishing room of one of 
the points of contention. Using water and acid stains 
for veneered work is the cause of trouble with the glue 
at times and of trouble in the finishing itself, and no one 
questions that if these can be eliminated it will make the 
process of finishing easier and more certain as to satis- 
factory results. 

This elimination of trouble in the finishing room is one 
of the strong arguments in favor of staining veneer 
and other wood work before using, and there are many 
others that may be found, such as getting the color uni- 
form through and through. To do this satisfactorily, 
however, to avoid contrast in color and insure harmony 
among the different parts of the piece of furniture as- 



196 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

sembled, it will be necessary to establish certain uniform 
shades of stains or color for different woods and adhere 
to them closely. It will not be so easy to ring in all 
manner of unique variations in stains. This, however, is 
no real drawback or handicap, for there has been too 
much of this in the past, and if the cabinet trade will 
only make up its mind to it, it can get more artistic re- 
sults from staining wood before it is used, and the finish 
should be more satisfactory. 



CHAPTER XVIII 
GENERAL INFORMATION 

LIQUID Glue Filler. — A correspondent advises me 
that he has used the following liquid filler with 
satisfaction, the work looking well after six years. 
Melt two pounds of best white glue in two gallons of 
water, bring it to a boil. Remove from fire and take 
outdoors, and add with stirring one gallon of gasoline. 
It is said to do particularly well on close-grained wood. 
I would suggest the use of benzine in place of gasoline, 
which is too volatile. And likely turpentine would be 
better still, though it does not mix with clear water. 
However, a glue filler may wear well enough where there 
is absolutely no dampness, not otherwise. 

Water Glass Liquid Filler. — The same writer informs 
me that he has used silicate of soda or water glass on 
stained wood, which stood well six years, showing up as 
well as any ordinary stained and varnished work. Such 
a coating would do fairly well only under dry conditions, 
and even then I should not look for it to give satisfac- 
tion. I am opposed to most cheap finishes of the two 
sorts mentioned. 

Finishing Table Top to Stand Heat. — There is prob- 
ably nothing better than oil finish. Heat does not se- 
riously affect the oil, and any slight injury done may easily 
be remedied by rubbing on a little oil. If the wood has 
never been finished, then rub in boiled oil, allowing a 
day between coats, and applying several. This is like 
french-polishing, but not quite the same thing, though 

197 



198 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

the latter is equally good, only requiring more work and 
the use of shellac in connection with the oil. 

There is perhaps a varnish made that will stand the 
effects of hot plates, etc. China wood oil is the chief 
resistant in such a varnish, and it will withstand heat, 
alcohol, acid, etc. 

Adding Perfume to Reviver. — Most furniture pol- 
ishes and revivers have an unpleasant smell, and to over- 
come this it is customary to add a little perfume, if we 
may call it that, though some may think the perfume as 
bad as the smell it is to disguise. Oil of mirbane is most 
commonly employed for the purpose, though any other 
essential oil may serve as well. It is the artificial oil of 
bitter almonds, and is cheap. Oil of wintergreen is a 
pleasant smelling one, while such oils as that of origanum, 
thyme, etc., may be used. There are many pleasant smell- 
ing oils that cannot be used excepting in the matter of 
small quantities of the polish, on account of high cost. 

Lemon oil when added to a polish not only imparts 
its peculiar pleasant odor, but it also acts more or less 
energetically in cleansing a dirty surface of varnish. 
Many of the essential oils act in this way. If it is rubbed 
with a pad on a varnished surface it will dull the sur- 
face, similar to the action of curled hair or moss. But 
it is too costly to use for any such purpose, its price being 
about a dollar a pound. When used in connection with 
rubbing oil it saves time to the extent of about one- third. 
If used in this way the work should afterwards be well 
cleaned off. 

Hard Varnish for Table Tops. — In Germany they add 
a small amount of ninety-five per cent, grain alcohol to 
the varnish to harden it, while at the same time it does 
not impair its elasticity, though it does cause it to finish 
dim, this effect finally wearing away. 

Solubility of Varnish Gums. — The various gums used 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 199 

in the manufacture of varnish are soluble in oil under 
heat as follows : Kauri copal, 509 deg. Fahr., Manila, 
468 deg. Fahr., North Coast, 548 deg. Fahr., Zanzibar, 
156 deg. Fahr., Benguela, 507 deg. Fahr., Sierra Leone, 
460 deg. Fahr., Angola, 539 deg. Fahr., Brazilian, 453 
deg. Fahr., Damar, 314 deg. Fahr., Mastic, 313 deg. 
Fahr., asphaltum, 349 deg Fahr. 

Covering Capacity of Varnish. — It is estimated that 
one gallon of shellac varnish will cover 400 square feet, 
first coat, on smooth pine, and 500 square feet on next 
coats. Copal varnish will cover 350 to 400 square feet, 
first coat, 500 square feet second coat, and nearly 600 
square feet on third coat. It will cover 50 to 75 square 
feet more on filled than on unfilled wood. 

Oak Without Finish. — One of the latest fads at this 
writing is to put up trim and general woodwork in rooms 
without any finish, such as stain or varnish. The raw 
oak looks well for a time, and may look well for a long 
time, but is sure to catch dust, also to become stained or 
soiled in time, hence it would seem better to at least 
coat it over with a little glycerine in alcohol. 

Finishing Outside Hardwood Doors. — Some think 
the door will stand the weather better if first given a coat 
of raw linseed oil, rubbing it in well, or the oil can be 
applied after the filler has been put in. The idea is 
that the oil will prevent the varnish coats from sinking 
in, and hence prolong the life and service of the varnish. 
Use only the best hard-drying coach varnish, for not even 
the best house varnish will wear as well as this. 

Matching Parts of Old Work. — When old work has 
been repaired so that there is new and old wood together, 
it is necessary to first stain the new part to agree with 
the old part. The mineral stains are the easiest to 
manage for this purpose, but chemicals are the most ef- 
ficient. Iron sulphate, silver nitrate, and strong acids 



200 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

all have a darkening effect. Oak may be treated with 
bichromate of potash with some walnut stain. To lighten 
any part try oxalic acid. Gamboge, in alcohol, is a good 
brightener for yellow wood, while alkanet root does for 
red wood. The root is to be placed in a small bag and 
steeped eight hours in sweet oil, to extract the coloring. 
Ebony may be treated with a decoction of gallnuts in 
which steel or iron filings have been soaked, making what 
is really an ordinary good writing fluid. Ammonia water 
will restore the grain of wood. 

Matching a Dark Oak. — If required to match old oak 
with new, try a weak solution of bichromate of potash, 
say an ounce with five pints of water. A brush will do 
to apply it with, but a sponge is to be preferred. 

Observe that in staining any kind of work we must 
not allow any part of it to become dry until the adjoin- 
ing part also is dry, for otherwise there will be double- 
coating on the laps and darker places in consequence. 

Bleaching Wood. — Chloride of lime is a strong 
bleacher of woods. Here is a formula: Dissolve ij%. 
oz. lime chloride and 2 oz. of soda crystals in 10^ pints 
of water. Wet the wood with this, and see that it re- 
mains wet for at least 30 minutes. Then wash it off, and 
apply a solution of sulphuric acid to neutralize the lime. 

Oxalic acid also is a good bleacher, the one commonly 
used by wood finishers. Some add a little nitric acid or 
spirits of niter to it. In any case apply the acid hot. 
When dry, wash off with clear water. Apply the acid 
with a brush, not a sponge, as the acid should not get 
onto the hands ; it is a poison. 

Finishing a Bowling Alley Floor. — Such a floor is 
subject to very hard usage. The wood is to be filled ac- 
cording to its character. Whether paste or liquid filled, 
follow with two or more coats of the best hard drying 
elastic floor varnish, allowing each coat two or even three 
days for drying. After that time it may be rubbed down 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 201 

with crude oil and flour pumicestone. Do not rub until 
the varnish has become perfectly hard-dry, or it will sweat 
out, and will be to do over again. 

Finishing Laboratory Table Top. — Owing to the fact 
that glass vessels and other breakable things are in con- 
stant use on the laboratory table it is not expedient to use 
marble, slate, glass, or other hard surface, wood alone 
answering the purpose. But wood becomes badly dis- 
figured in a short time, from the spilling of the different 
chemicals on it so that it becomes necessary to renovate it 
frequently, or seek some sort of coating for it that will 
be immune to the action of chemicals. Such a treatment 
has been discovered. Here is the formula and method : 

Solution No. i. — Copper sulphate 50 grams 

Potassium chlorate 40 grams 

Water, q.s 500 c.c. 

Solution No. 2. — Aniline hydrochloride 50 grams 

Ammonium chloride 40 grams 

Water, q.s 500 c.c. 

Solution No. 3. — Potassium bichromate 50 grams 

Water, q.s 500 

Solution No. 4. — Sodium sulphite 80 grams 

Sulphuric acid 20 c.c. 

Water, q.s 500 c.c. 

Solution No. 5. — Soap suds. 

These solutions are to be applied in the following 
order: Nos. 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, and 5. But be sure 
that one coat is perfectly dry before you apply the next 
coat. This is very important. The liquids are applied 
with a bristle brush, like a water stain, allowing the wood 
to absorb all of each coating that it will take up, in order 
to make the work more effectual and lasting. The soap- 
suds fix the color, which is intensified by the sulphuric 
acid. After the soap solution is dry the surface is 



202 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

rubbed with vaseline, which gives a soft and pleasing 
finish, besides repelling water. The treatment involves a 
great deal of hard rubbing and time, but the work is well 
worth the time and trouble, and the expense, outside of 
the labor, is small. 

The preceding method I have personal knowledge of, 
the formula having been given to me by a professor of 
chemistry, and he showed me table tops done in this man- 
ner. I also was permitted to see the work under way 
by some of the students, who prepared the tops and oc- 
casionally renovated them, for they needed that too, oc- 
casionally. But they looked fine, showing a very hand- 
some dark brown color. 

Here is another and similar formula : 

The surface of the table top should be treated with 
a solution of copper sulphate i part, potassium chlorate I 
part, dissolved in 8 parts of boiling hot water. Apply 
this solution and allow it to soak well into the wood. 
When dry apply a coat of the following solution: Ani- 
line hydrochlorate 3 parts, water 20 parts. Apply two 
coats of each solution, alternately. When dry, give the 
surface a full coating of raw linseed oil, rubbing this well 
into the wood, using a woolen cloth for the purpose, 
and then remove all surplus oil, rubbing dry. The color 
in this case will be an ebony black, and the surface may 
be kept in good condition by washing off at intervals with 
weak soapsuds, allowing this to dry, then rubbing with 
linseed oil when dry. 

Wax Stained for Colored Woods. — Melt 4 oz. bees- 
wax in 10 oz. of turpentine, color with alkanet root, and 
strain. Aniline dye may be used also. The wax should 
be melted in turpentine over a water bath; the alkanet 
root, if used, should be placed in the turpentine to digest 
the color, before putting wax in it. The wax should be 
shredded to facilitate melting. Stir the mixture while 
melting. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 203 

Linseed oil 10 oz., white wax i lb., rosin i oz., and 
alkanet root I oz. Melt the rosin and add it to the oil, 
then melt the wax and add it to the oil and rosin mix- 
ture ; finally stir in the alkanet coloring. 

Melt together 4 oz. beeswax and 1 oz. rosin, add 2 oz. 
turpentine, and Venetian red, dry, to color. 

Genuine beeswax is costly, about sixty cents per pound, 
at this writing. There are other waxes that may be used 
in place of the beeswax, if desired. Here is a list of 
waxes with approximate prices, retail, at this date: 

Yellow beeswax, 40c. to 50c. White beeswax, 60c. 
Carnauba wax, 25c. to 40c. Bayberry or myrtle wax, 
25c. Yellow ceresin wax, 15c. to 30c. Japan wax, 15c. 
Refined paraffin wax, 10c. The latter may be bought 
wholesale at about 4c. a pound. Prepared wax manu- 
facturers use some of these waxes in place of the bees- 
wax, but it must be said that none of them do as well as 
the latter, being shorter of grain, not so flexible under 
the brush, etc. 

In France there is an artificial wax made, as follows : 
Melt together 100 parts of parraffin wax, 50 parts clear 
rosin, and 1 part of Carnauba wax. Then mix 5 parts 
of talc and enough yellow aniline dye or powdered cur- 
cuma to impart the yellow beeswax color ; stir the mass 
until it has become quite cold. 

A good exterior wax finish may be made by adding one- 
half pound of beeswax to the gallon of varnish, using a 
good exterior varnish ; the same wax-varnish may be used 
inside, substituting interior varnish for the other. To 
harden the wax -varnish some driers must be added. 

In wax-finishing interior hard woods the latter must 
be filled and varnished before applying the wax. Or the 
wax may be rubbed into the raw or stained wood, ac- 
cording to kind of finish wanted. On soft woods it is 
usual to first stain, then apply liquid filler or shellac, then 
apply wax. The usual proportion of wax to turpentine 



204 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

is two parts of the former to one part of the latter, first 
melting the wax, then stirring in the turpentine. Or the 
wax may be shredded and dissolved in the turpentine, 
which may be either warm, hot, or cold, in the latter case 
it requiring more time for dissolution. For a reviver 
or polisher for furniture more turpentine may be added, 
say three or four times as much of the turpentine, all 
proportions to be by weight. To get the egg-shell gloss, 
rub the waxed finish vigorously with a woolen rag or 
brush with stiff, short bristles. 

A cheap wax polish may be made thus : 

Dissolve y^ lb. of pearlash in i quart of boiling water, 
and while boiling stir in \y 2 lbs. shredded beeswax; stir 
until dissolved, adding water now and then, to make it of 
the consistency of cream. As it will thicken somewhat 
upon cooling, add water while using, to keep at uniform 
fluidity. Apply as you would varnish, and after it has 
become dry polish with stiff bristle brush or cloth. 

By using white wax in the above formula, in place of 
yellow, the polish will answer for statuary, plaster casts, 
white marble, etc. 

Another cheap polish. — To i gallon of boiling water 
add 4 oz. soap, i lb. beeswax, both shredded, and while 
still boiling add 2 oz. pearlash. Thin with water for use, 
and use same as preceding polish. 

This is particularly recommended for good furniture. 
Melt one pound of yellow beeswax in one pint of raw 
linseed oil on a water bath, and after taking it from the 
bath thin up with a gallon of turpentine. This is a quite 
thin polish, useful for restoring old furniture. Clean 
off the furniture, and apply the wax with a soft woolen 
cloth, after which rub to a polish with a woolen or silk 
cloth. 

To make a restoring piano polish with wax, melt to- 
gether Y\ oz. Carnauba wax, 2 oz. Japan wax, and 2 oz. 
yellow beeswax ; add enough coal oil to make the mass 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 205 

about the consistency of vaseline. The waxes are to 
be melted together first, then are left to cool slightly, 
when the coal oil is added. Let the mass become quite 
cold, and then if too solid, melt again and add more coal 
oil. The Carnauba wax gives a high polish, while the 
two other waxes temper the composition, making it more 
flexible. 

" I frequently have occasion to visit the finishing de- 
partment of what is probably the largest factory of hand- 
made furniture in New York. They do work of the 
' good old-fashioned kind,' where quality and not time 
or price is the first consideration. They think nothing, 
for instance, of taking eight weeks or so to finish a table. 
Every piece of their furniture is a work of art, and their 
entire finishing is done with shellac and shellac only. 
Sometimes they give their work twenty coats of shellac, 
allowing twice as much time between the second and third 
as between the first and second coats, and so on. Of 
course, the shellac is thinned down to the consistency 
of milk and applied by pads of cloth. Each coat, when 
dry, is rubbed dull, so that only the varnish which sinks 
into the wood is left, and after the final coat the surface 
has been entirely filled in and has a finish of silk-like 
smoothness. 

" They also shade with shellac ; for instance, if a piece 
of Circassian walnut is lighter at one end than at another 
they finish the light end with successive coats of shellac 
until both ends tone exactly, at which time they for the 
first time begin finishing the entire piece. When work of 
this kind has been properly done there is no more durable 
finish known." — Corresp. 

Chamois Skin. — Yearly the supply of chamois skins 
grows scarcer, all that can be gathered or made in a year 
not being sufficient to supply the demand in our country 
for a single day. Most of the chamois skins are merely 
the skins of young goats or kids. The skin from the 



206 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

chamois is heavier than that from the sheep, and also 
coarser. It is mostly due to the shyness of the chamois 
and its fleetness that its skins are so scarce. It is only 
a few months in winter that the animals come down the 
mountains and are accessible to the hunters, and even 
then it takes a large number of hunters to meet with any 
success. 

For strength and durability the chamois skin is to be 
preferred, but for ordinary use the oil-tanned sheep skin 
does very well, and is much cheaper. The tanning is 
done in about the same manner as with the chamois 
skin. 

Wash leather, as vehicle varnishers call it, or sheep 
skin, alias chamois, should not be left in water, but it 
should be wrung out as dry as possible, spread out smooth, 
then hung up to dry. Hot water is hard on the skin, 
making it harsh, destroying its flexibility. A dirty skin 
may be washed out in water with white soap, rubbing it 
with a bit of curled hair and soap, first one side, then the 
other, then thoroughly rinsing it out in clear warm water. 
Some advise leaving some soap suds in it. This to keep 
the skin soft, but it is probably not a good way. When 
dry, rub the skin in the hands to make it soft and pliable. 
The skin is not to wash off dirt with, but to follow wash- 
ing with a rag, and to remove any lint that may remain. 

The Sponge. — The sponge is an animal, though it does 
not look like it. Deep water sponges are best. Good 
sponges come from Nassau and Cuba, but most of the 
sponges we use come from a reef off the Florida coast. 
The sponge fishers fill the sponge with sand or salt, to 
make weight, as sponges are sold by weight. Bleaching 
injures a sponge, but it makes it look better. Another 
trick is to pack a certain portion of inferior sponges with 
the best grade, selling the lot as strictly first-class. No 
man can tell by looking at a sponge whether it is loaded 
with sand or other filler or not. The best thing to do in 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 207 

buying sponges in quantity is to buy from a reliable 
firm. 

Keep sponges in a rather damp place when not in 
use. This rule applies to single sponge and bale of 
sponges. A sponge should be used within a year after 
being taken out of the water. A weak solution of am- 
monia will clean a dirty sponge and do it no harm. It 
acts also as a sort of bleach. A strong solution of sal 
soda will do as well as ammonia, and it may be used 
without harm. 

Pinholing. — Thin filler is a frequent cause of pinholes. 
Some finishers try to use the filler the same consistency 
for all woods, regardless of their porous nature. A much 
heavier filler is required for such woods as oak than for 
walnut. Unless a "filler sufficiently heavy to thoroughly 
fill the pores is used, pinholes are almost certain to result. 
As a rule, veneer requires a slightly heavier filler than 
solid wood of the same kind. For instance, most solid 
birch, if finished natural, or if not stained with a water 
stain, may be finished without any filler and without 
danger of pinholes. Not so with birch veneer. Here a 
filler must be used, or considerable extra varnish applied 
to make up for the deficiency. For birch veneer a good 
pigment surfacer will sometimes take the place of filler; 
but a good heavy coat is necessary and it must be well 
brushed in. This is suitable only when the wood is fin- 
ished without a water stain being used. 

Filler that sticks before it gets dry is sure to do bad 
work and liable to result in pinholes. Sticky filler may be 
avoided if the finisher will make his own filler, and not 
make it longer than a week or ten days in advance of us- 
ing. Nearly all fillers contain japan dryer, and it is this 
that causes old filler to work hard and tough. Filler 
should not be used within twenty-four hours after being 
made, nor made longer than ten days before being used. 

Where only a small quantity of filler is used it may be 



208 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

made up into a very stiff dough or paste without the japan 
dryer. This paste may be reduced with benzine in quan- 
tities as required to suit immediate needs, and the japan 
added with the benzine. But be sure and use the proper 
proportion of japan — the same as would have been used 
had it been put in at the start. Do not guess at the quan- 
tity; weigh and measure. Filler made without the japan 
will keep well for an indefinite length of time. 

All filler should be well brushed in, in order that it 
may reach the bottom of the pore and get a good hold. 
Unless this is done the air in the pores will prevent it 
entering, and pinholes will be the result. 

Tacky Varnish. — Whatever the cause, whether low 
grade varnish, or impure atmosphere, apply a coat of 
fresh lime wash, let it dry, then brush off and apply a 
coat of good hard-drying varnish. Some use earth pig- 
ments like ochre, whiting, or sienna in place of lime, 
when the latter is not at hand, but the lime does best. 
In case the pigment is used, let it remain on for several 
days before brushing off and re-varnishing. Neither 
whiting nor lime, if any remains on the work, will show 
when varnished. Some advise a mixture of gold size and 
turpentine as a size over sticky varnish. 

Testing Varnish. — To test varnish for drying hard 
without thickness try it on a sheet of glass, at a tempera- 
ture not lower than 53^ deg., Fahr., nor higher than 68 
deg., Fahr. At the end of 24 hours partly cover over 
with a clean cloth wet with clear cold water. Examine 
after 18 hours. The damp part will show alteration, 
but the surface should resume its former luster and gen- 
eral appearance in six hours. 

A good floor varnish applied to a properly prepared 
surface of wood or glass should dry dust-free in from 
6 to 8 hours at 535/2 deg., Fahr., in daylight, ceasing 
to be tacky at the end of 10 or 12 hours, and quite hard in 
24 to 30 hours. It should stand rubbing with the finger 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 209 

(dry) at the end of 24 hours, and take a smooth polish 
with pumicestone and water without softening or tearing 
It should also stand the wet cloth test, and after drying 
for 24 hours at 53 deg., the varnish should have the same 
gloss as a similar or same varnish coating applied side by 
side on the same surface. 

Good varnish will work easy under the brush, flow out 
well, level up perfectly, have good luster, have fullness 
and not die away, set free from dust in a reasonable 
length of time, and finally become hard enough to resist 
a certain amount of friction. 

A good test for varnish consists in coating a sheet of 
glass and when allowed proper time for drying, sub- 
merging it in water ; if the varnish shows white on its 
surface it is poor. But it should be remembered that 
nearly all long-oil varnishes will show white sooner than 
varnishes containing little oil but much hard gum. The 
fine carriage finishing varnishes always show mud spot- 
ting worse, because long in oil ; a short-oil varnish would 
be better in this case, if varnish is to be subjected to mud, 
and particularly limestone mud. 

The drying of varnish is one of its most important 
tests. It must in twenty-four hours have dried sufficiently 
in thin layers on wood, glass or metal, to have a thorough 
adhesion, and must within the ensuing twenty-four hours 
have entirely dried away, without, however, losing a cer- 
tain elasticity and softness. If it dries more quickly 
no defect is thereby indicated, but if it dries more slowly 
it is evident that it was not sufficiently boiled, that an 
insufficient quantity of driers was added during the boil- 
ing, or that it contains some foreign substance. 

Varnishes should be tested to ascertain their drying 
properties and their relative durability. 

A simple test for brittleness is to allow a drop of the 
varnish to trickle down a narrow piece of glass. Note 
the time required to dry, and when dry see if the var- 



210 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

nish can be removed readily by the thumb nail. If too 
brittle, it will easily cleave from the glass and in that 
case is of little value for finishing coats. 

Outside varnishes should be tested by application to 
pieces of hard wood previously filled and should then 
be placed in an exposed position for at least two years. 

Some varnishes seem to have the property of rapidly 
darkening the surfaces to which they are applied, es- 
pecially on grained work. It is well to make tests of 
various kinds of varnish over grained panels and note 
if this peculiarity exists. It is useless to expect good 
results unless a fair price is paid for the goods. 

In buying varnishes, the price is usually a fair way 
to determine the quality of the article. When a fairly 
pale varnish is offered at a low price, it may be reason- 
able to assume that the article is not made from high- 
priced gums. 

It takes but a short time to find the drying or hard- 
ening qualities of varnish, but will take months to ob- 
tain a fair idea of their wearing qualities. Varnishes 
are usually valued by their transparency, gloss, drying 
and working qualities, but more so for their wearing 
quality and clearness. To ascertain by comparison the 
relative value of varnish the color should be considered, 
the pale ones being of most value, as the darker ones 
are liable to darken the ground, and in cases such as 
finishing light natural woods, this is most undesirable. 
It should work freely and flow out evenly, and after 
several months' exposure should not crack, powder, chip 
or rub off. 

To ascertain in some measure the quality of the var- 
nish take a large piece of clean glass, drop a little of 
each of the varnishes to be tried at one end of the 
glass, side by side, then set the glass in a vertical or 
inclined position. Then observe carefully the var- 
nishes as they flow down over the surface of the glass 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 211 

to the lower edge, note the setting and drying of each, 
also examine the film whether it be wavy or smooth. 
Smoothness will show the varnish to be well made, while 
a waviness shows it to be too thick or poorly made. 
If the varnish dries freely from the edge it indicates 
that it has been made from good copal gum. If the drip 
shows a tardiness or a tendency to draw back, it shows 
the presence of rosin. 

Another trial is to apply the different varnishes on a 
dead flat, black surface; when dry expose to the sun. 
A varnish containing rosin will, in a few weeks, show 
by silking and alligatoring. 

A good grade of varnish for architectural purposes 
may be known by these indications : Absence of much 
color; constancy of consistency; characteristic odor, in 
which turpentine predominates; ease of flowing under 
the brush ; free flowing or running ; will not easily show 
brush marks ; dries rather quickly, though not unduly 
so; retains its elasticity and suppleness and will never be 
sticky ; stands exposure to the weather and all ordinary 
wear and tear. 

A low-grade varnish dries very quickly, though some 
kinds will become soft after a time succeeding the dry- 
ing, remaining soft and sticky indefinitely ; dries hard but 
never is supple and elastic ; shows white under water test ; 
scratches under the finger-nail test; difficult to apply, 
setting quickly, in some cases setting almost as soon as ap- 
plied; rank odor, benzine predominating; brilliant luster, 
but subject to cracking badly. 

We come across some very light colored copal var- 
nish now and then, and while we know and use " white 
copal " varnish, that made from the lightest bits of the 
copal gum, yet we are suspicious of this very light ar- 
ticle that seems to get its whiteness from damar. There 
is a simple test for it: to one part of the varnish add 
two or three parts of rectified sulphuric ether. If the 



212 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

mixture remains clear as water, the copal is pure ; but if 
a milky turbidity follows it is adulterated either with gum 
damar or damar varnish. Which suggests the idea that 
a few chemicals make up a sort of laboratory for the 
varnisher that will amply repay him for the cost and 
time spent upon it. 

Testing Turpentine. — There is a good deal of adul- 
terated turpentine and substitutes for the genuine; some 
made by synthesis, others by admixtures of mineral oils. 
The varnish maker employs a chemist to try all goods, 
hence he can easily detect a spurious article. But the 
varnish user, when he undertakes to thin his varnish 
with turpentine, as sometimes he will, needs to be care- 
ful not to get a substitute or imitation fluid into his pot. 
It is well to know that the addition of both benzine and 
turpentine will not do. These two fluids will not mix, 
and hence will cause trouble when placed in a varnish to 
thin it. Better use all of one or the other. 

By placing a little turpentine in a saucer in the sun 
you can tell much about its character, for it will, if 
genuine, evaporate completely in two or three hours at 
most. By placing some on a sheet of white paper you 
can also tell, for if pure it will soon evaporate and leave 
never a stain. Still another easy method is by weighing 
a sample and comparing it with the standard weight of 
pure turpentine. Of two suspected samples thus weighed, 
the lighter will be the better. 

China-wood Oil and Formulas. — China-wood oil has 
been in use for several years, but usually in connection 
with cheap-grade varnishes, rosin being largely used. 
Such varnishes are made for furniture, interior work, 
and for dipping. It is said by those who are assumed to 
know that china-wood oil cannot be heated by itself to a 
higher temperature than 450 deg. F. without danger of 
gelatinizing or becoming a mass of jelly insoluble in all 
but the costliest liquids. This is said to occur even in 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 213 

conjunction with other substances, in varnish-making, 
where more than say 12 lbs. of rosin are used in the 
making. If more oil is wanted a boiled linseed oil must 
be employed, one having 3 lbs. of borate of manganese 
to the 50 gals, of oil, and this may be used in equal pro- 
portions with china oil. 

The formula for making a durable yet cheap furniture 
varnish in which china oil figures is as follows : Melt 
120 lbs. of rosin to 500 deg. F., and add 4 lbs. of oxide 
of calcium; then add 12 gals, of china-wood oil, and run 
the heat up to 600 deg. F., cooling to 350 deg., then adding 
6 lbs. of powdered litharge; heat now to 575 deg., and 
finally cool off to 325 deg. Then thin with 30 gals, of 
(wine) naphtha. 

All I have read about china-wood oil is based upon the 
use of it without the elimination of the objectionable 
fatty oil, and which the makers of the varnish say they 
have succeeded in getting rid of after some eight years of 
experimenting. The oil used without this treatment will 
flat upon exposure to the weather, and on this account the 
varnish is not available for outside work nor for use on 
agricultural machinery or common vehicles. Manufac- 
turers say that enamels made with it become fatty in the 
cans. Used in connection with lead paint it causes the 
paint to liver up or thicken, due to the chemical action 
of the lead or excess of alkali on the wood oil and rosin. 

Brush Preservation. — Once the brush has been put in 
good varnish and on good work keep it there, and keep it 
clean. When placed in the keeper have the liquid in 
which it is kept come well up over the bristles, so that 
none of the varnish may dry in the butt of the brush. 
Keep this keeper clean and in a closet. There is a dif- 
ference of opinion among workmen as to what is the best 
liquid for keeping a varnish brush in while not in use, 
but it may be said that most prefer to keep it in the same 
varnish it has been used in, which seems logical. By 



214 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

doing this he saves time and labor when taking out the 
brush for use again. But if he may use it in various 
varnishes, as occasion may require, then it will hardly 
matter what kind of varnish he keeps it in. Raw oil is 
a very good medium for keeping a brush in, but then 
when you want to use it in varnish it will require a lot 
of working out to get the oil out, for if any oil remains 
in the brush it will work out as it is being used and cause 
great trouble. Some use a mixture of oil and turpentine, 
which is better than oil alone, but this mixture too will 
have to be well worked out, or the oil and turpentine will 
seriously affect your varnishing. One advantage of keep- 
ing the brush in oil is in the fact that such a brush will 
not become lousy, for the oil will keep the butt bristles 
soft. Unclean varnish brushes do a great deal of harm 
in the varnishing. 

Finally, let it be said that a varnish brush should be 
kept in a tightly closed tin keeper, with the brush sus- 
pended so that its bristles will not touch the bottom of the 
container, and as to the liquid, that may be whatever you 
prefer; the only matter is to see that the brush is right 
before you begin varnishing. If you keep it in oil, tur- 
pentine, or a mixture of both, or in a different varnish 
from that into which you are going to work it, then work 
the brush out until you have rid it of every vestige of the 
liquid of the keeper. If you first work it out in turpen- 
tine or benzine, then take some of the varnish you are go- 
ing to work with and in another vessel work it in until the 
brush is saturated with the same, and every bit of the 
keeper varnish and cleansing fluid has been worked out, 
and do not pour back into the can you are using varnish 
from any of the cleanings, but place these in a separate 
can, and use it on certain cheap work. None of this 
material need be wasted. 

All new brushes contain more or less dirt, which may be 
shaken out by beating over the hand or twirling between 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 215 

the hands. The loose bristles and dirt will then fall out, 
after which the brush may be worked out in clean tur- 
pentine or benzine. After this work the brush in clean 
varnish, and use it first on cheap work, then it will be fit 
for the best work. 

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF SOME SUPPLIES. 

Sandpaper. — Best flint paper. Sizes, Nos. oo, i, 2, 2^2, 
3. Prices, about per quire 18c, 20c, 20c, 22c, 25c. 

Pumice Stone, powdered: FFF, or Extra Fine, 3c. 
lb. ; FF, or Extra Fine, 3c. lb. ; F or fine, 3c. lb. ; No. o, 
or Usual, 3c. lb.; No. 1, coarse, 3c. lb.; No. y 2 , grain, 3c. 
lb. 

Rottenstone, powdered, 8c. lb. 

Steel Wool, per pound : No. o, fine, 40c. ; No. 1, med- 
ium, 30c. ; No. 2, medium coarse, 30c. ; No. 3, coarse, 25c. ; 
Shavings, fine 22c. ; Shavings, medium, 20c. ; Shavings, 
coarse, 18c. 

Rubbing Felt. — In sheets 18x18, but may be had 
cut to any desired size: Hard Mexican, y$ and Yi inch 
thick, $1.25 lb.; Soft Mexican, same thickness, $1.25 lb.; 
Soft Spanish, same thickness, $2.00 lb. 

Rubbing Pad. — Rubbing pads ready for use may be 
bought at 50c. each, there being two well-known pads 
on the market that should please. 



CHAPTER XIX 
SHELLAC VARNISH 

LAC is a resinous incrustation excreted by a scale 
insect known as Tachardia lacca. The mouth 
parts of this insect consist of a beak or sucking 
apparatus combined with a pointed lancet. With this 
lancet the insect pierces the bark of the twig of a tree, 
and then inserts a sucking tube and draws up the sap. 
The insect may be likened to an animated siphon, since 
the sap, continually sucked up through the beak, is, 
after modification and absorption of some of its products, 
given out as an excretion at the anal end of the body. 
This secretion solidifies in contact with the air, and thus 
there is gradually formed around the body a scale or cell, 
popularly known as " lac." 

Were only a single insect present on a branch the scale 
would appear as a circular, dome-shaped, reddish excres- 
cence on the surface of the bark. Owing, however, to the 
production by the female of a very large number of 
eggs, often as many as 1,000, and the habit of the in- 
sects, which indeed is common to many of the family, 
of living and feeding gregariously, closely packed to- 
gether on one twig, the scales or cells coalesce during 
their formation and result in the production of a con- 
tinuous incrustation on the twigs, which, on collection, 
forms the article of commerce known as " stick-lac." 

From stick-lac we get the familiar " shellac," or shell- 
lac. Then there is also button-lac, plate-lac, and seed- 
lac, all in different forms, from which each variety gets 
its name. 

216 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 217 

Natives of India, where the lac is found, strip the trees 
of the heavily coated twigs and limbs, and place them in 
hot water, which soon dissolves the resinous matter, free- 
ing insects and bits of wood, and also washing out the 
coloring matter deposited by the insects. The separated 
lac is then taken out and dried, and later on is placed in 
strong bags of coarse cotton. These bags are then held 
near a fire which, while melting the resin, does not scorch 
the muslin. The bags are then squeezed and twisted. 
This treatment forces out the resin in thin films, these 
being received upon strips of wood. The resin quickly 
hardens on the strips of wood, and it is then removed by 
striking on the wood, the lac easily breaking off in the 
form of thin pieces, something like thin gelatin or glue, 
the form being well known to users of shellac. 

The best grade of shellac is that which is most free from 
all impurities. As these impurities are dark, it follows 
that the best shellac is of the lightest color. It is a light 
orange or brownish cast. When they are squeezing the 
bag, some of the lac falls on the earth, in which case it 
takes on a button form, or drop, and hence is called but- 
ton-lac. If these drops are large and spread out, they 
become plate-lac. Stick-lac is the resin still on twigs, but 
which have been broken for convenience in carrying. 
Under the lac trees are found quantities of lac that has 
been forced from the tree by winds or other means, and 
all this is carefully gathered up by the natives and sold 
as seed-lac. Briefly, shell-lac is superior because the best 
prepared. 

Pure shell-lac is simply a combination of several pe- 
culiar resins, combined and mixed together as only the 
little lac insect can do it. This lac is important because 
of its adaptability for making varnish. Lac is easy of 
dissolution. In alcohol, also in a solution of borax, it 
gives a fine, hard varnish, capable of taking a depth and 
brilliancy of polish not attained by any other resin or 



218 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

manufactured varnish. It is well known that the famous 
French polish is superior to any other form of varnish 
polish, being of simple composition, and it is readily 
rubbed to a high luster. 

Adulteration of Shellac. — The best grade of orange 
shellac can be bought from any reputable dealer, but the 
white shellac is almost sure to be sophisticated. This be- 
cause it is so easy to adulterate, it having to go through 
the bleaching process to make it white. Being more ex- 
pensive to manufacture, a little adulteration helps lighten 
the cost. It is also likely to contain some water. 

Where orange shellac is adulterated the precipitation 
and drying differ from the action of the pure gum. If 
rosin is present — a very usual adulterant — the alcohol 
will hold the rosin in solution and precipitate the shellac 
down, the shellac being the hardest to dissolve, there being 
very few substances that will dissolve it. Rosin causes 
shellac to dry soft. In the case of pure shellac the fin- 
isher may apply two coats in a day and rub down each 
and produce good work. But a coat of rosin-shellac will 
remain tacky for hours, so that one cannot rub more than 
the one coat a day. But note that not more than one coat 
a day of pure shellac is best for good work ; see direc- 
tions for finishing wood. It is true that shellac when 
pure may be applied as often as three coats a day, and be 
rubbed down, but it is not advised. An expert finisher 
says : " A pure shellac varnish should be fit to handle in 
six minutes after application, and be fit to sandpaper in 
thirty minutes, without gumming the sandpaper. The 
second coat should dry in seven minutes, it having been 
applied within thirty minutes after the first coat. In two 
hours apply the third coat, which should be hard to the 
touch in ten minutes. In one hour after applying the 
third coat it should be fit to rub down with oil and pum- 
icestone." It must be repeated, that such quick work 
will not insure permanent finishing. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 219 

Bleached or White Shellac. — It may be made in dif- 
ferent ways. One way is, to boil the orange shellac in 
a weak solution of carbonate of potash, and when dis- 
solution is effected to collect the shellac, melt it under 
water, and while it is soft to pull it until it has a satiny 
appearance. Another way is to boil the shellac in a weak 
solution of potash, and while it is in a melted state pull 
and work it, until white enough. Then remelt it and 
pull again in clean warm water. All this reads like easy 
work, and it is, on a small scale, as for your own use, 
but on a commercial scale it is rather more difficult, 
requiring at least twelve operations, namely : 

Crushing the raw shellac to a powder, so that it will be 
more readily soluble in the alkaline solution, separa- 
tion of the coloring principle from the resin, preparation 
of the bleaching agent, or hypochlorite of potash or soda, 
treatment of the liquefied shellac by the bleaching agent, 
diluting the bleached shellac dilute alklaine solution in 
water, preparing the sulphuric acid for neutralizing the 
alkaline solution of shellac, neutralizing the shellac al- 
kaline solution by the use of dilute sulphuric acid, which 
coincidently precipitates the bleached shellac, filtering 
the precipitate or pulp of the bleached shellac to de- 
velop whiteness and elasticity, hardening and whitening 
process of the sulphurous acid bath, which prevents to 
a very great extent the white shellac turning yellow 
when exposed to the light, drying the bleached shellac, 
and crushing the bleached shellac. 

Here is another method, for shop use. Dissolve one 
pound of shellac in two pounds of strong alcohol, the 
absolute if that is possible, and leave it in a warm place 
for a few days. Then prepare a mixture of one pound 
of (20 per cent.) bleaching powder with three pounds 
of water, filter through a linen cloth, and wash the 
residue with one-half pound of water, the two waters 
being united and mixed with a 33 per cent, aqueous solu- 



220 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

tion of potash until no further precipitate is formed, 
4^ ounces of potash being generally sufficient per pound 
of bleach. The filtrate from this treatment is stirred 
into the warm solution of shellac, and at the end of a 
half-hour sufficient hydrochloric acid is added to produce 
a decided acid reaction, whereupon the shellac will be 
deposited as a perfectly white mass, which is removed 
from the liquid and washed with boiling water until the 
washings cease to run off milky. The shellac is then 
molded into strips, which are dried in the sun and open 
air. The acid liquor being neutralized with quicklime 
can be distilled to recover the alcohol. 

Bleached shellac comes in granular form for easy 
" cutting " or dissolution with alcohol, it being more 
difficult to " cut " than the orange shellac. Some sam- 
ples show more difficulty than others, all depending upon 
the care used in the bleaching, for if any lime is left, 
through scant washing, it will be harder for the alcohol 
to act on the shellac. It has been advised to put such 
shellac for a time in clear warm water, to draw out the 
lime, after which the shellac may be thoroughly dried. 
It is at least worth trying. When the gum is placed in 
alcohol for making the varnish the mass had better be 
placed on a hot water bath, which will facilitate the 
process, shaking it occasionally. Add two pounds of the 
gum to the gallon of alcohol, and strain carefully after 
the gum has dissolved ; some of it may not dissolve, 
and it is this that must be strained out. Keep the shel- 
lac varnish in a glass or earthen vessel, tightly stoppered, 
never in metal. Contact with metal darkens bleached 
shellac, and this discoloration may be removed, it is 
said, by the addition of a very little oxalic acid, but 
whether the acid would do any harm when used in 
finishing is not known to me. It is also said that the 
addition of a little oxalic acid to the white varnish at 
the time it is being dissolved in alcohol will prevent dis- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 221 

coloration or darkening. White shellac is liable to de- 
teriorate with age, a fact due to the improper prepara- 
tion of same; in this condition it is stringy and does not 
dissolve readily in alcohol. If the white gum shellac 
you have has been on hand for a long time it would 
be better to discard it, unless in great quantity. 

In the preparation of bleached shellac it is important 
that every last vestige of lime (chloride) be washed out, 
or that the acid be strong enough to neutralize the lime. 
The granulated form of white shellac is particularly 
liable to work badly, hence it is best to buy the shellac 
in hanks, keeping these under water, changing the water 
frequently, and skimming off the scum from time to 
time. Or the hanks may be kept in a crate or barrel, 
with water in the bottom, covered over with burlap or 
other suitable cloth. Of course, when wanted for use 
it must be thoroughly dried out, to remove every vestige 
of water. 

Shellac is refined in the following manner : In a suit- 
able boiler i]/ 2 parts of soda are dissolved with 45 parts 
of water; to this are added in gradual portions as it dis- 
solves 5 parts of gum shellac. This gives a violet-red 
color, with more or less traces of fatty substances. 
After complete solution the mixture is boiled for a few 
minutes, and the boiler is then covered down with a 
wooden top, which is cemented down. The contents of 
the boiler are cooled slowly, and the grease on the sur- 
face of the solution is skimmed off, the shellac is pre- 
cipitated with sulphuric acid, drop by drop, and well 
washed with water until all acid reaction is removed. 
The shellac is then put into boiling water and softened, 
so that it may be worked into rods or plaits, and it is 
hardened by placing it in cold water containing some 
glycerine. The refined shellac should have a silvery to 
a yellowish-white surface, with a yellowish-white frac- 
ture. It should be perfectly dry and soluble in alcohol. 



222 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

When overtreated with chloride of lime white shellac 
is partly insoluble in alcohol, as has previously been 
pointed out. Formerly no treatment for its restoration 
was known but it has been discovered that if such shellac 
is first moistened with one-twentieth of its weight of 
ether and allowed to swell in a close vessel its solubility 
in alcohol will be restored. 

The stronger the alcohol the better its cutting power, 
but sometimes it answers to pour off the first alcohol, 
after it has been on the gum for a while, and replace it 
with fresh alcohol. 

Sometimes white shellac will show a decided acid re- 
action, due to insufficient washing of the bulk shellac 
after its precipitation by sulphuric acid. Such a shellac 
is always difficult to dissolve. To neutralize the acidity 
add two ounces of caustic soda to one pint of boiling 
water, adding this to ten gallons of the shellac varnish. 
This will correct the acidity and make the shellac very 
soluble in alcohol. 

The affinity of alcohol for water is so great that if 
only a very little water is added to a solution of alco- 
hol shellac the water will combine with the alcohol, while 
part of the shellac will precipitate or separate from the 
solution. It is for this reason that the nearer " abso- 
lute " the alcohol is the better will it dissolve any shellac 
gum, white or orange. At least ninety-five per cent, 
should be required of the alcohol. The least particle of 
water in it will result in the precipitating of more or less 
of the gum. 

Orange Shellac. — Like the white variety, orange shel- 
lac should dissolve in alcohol without residue. This 
whether wood, grain or denatured alcohol is used. A 
great deal depends on the method employed in making 
the shellac, on the presence or absence of rosin, of which 
more further on. As to orange shellac, given the same 
degree of strength of the solvent, there will always be 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 223 

a uniform result in the varnish making. Experiments 
have shown that with the best grade of alcohol there 
is no difference in the dissolving power of wood and 
grain alcohol and denatured alcohol. There is a dif- 
ference in behavior of grain and wood alcohol on crude 
lac, as Singh has shown. Whereas, grain alcohol dis- 
solves both the lac and the coloring matter associated 
with it, the wood alcohol dissolves only the lac. By 
treating ioo lbs. of crude lac with methyl (wood) alco- 
hol in an extraction apparatus similar to that of Soxh- 
lett he was able in the course of two or three hours to 
extract a product which is stated to be equal to the best 
shellac on the market. He suggested that the lac be 
placed on the market in the form of a coarse powder, in- 
stead of the shell form, and thus do away with the neces- 
sity of stretching the lac while in the plastic state, with 
the object of eliminating the rosin which is added at 
this stage to facilitate the manipulation. The addition 
of rosin to shellac is carried on so systematically, and 
the different brands are so well known, that a change 
is scarcely likely. 

Concerning the use of wood and grain alcohol for 
dissolving shellac, while both have the same power, as 
stated, yet there is a difference in the behavior of the 
two when being used, and after application. For in- 
stance, grain alcohol has a pleasant, sweetish smell, and 
it does not affect the eyes ; it works freely, sets reason- 
ably slow, and dries hard. Wood alcohol sets so quickly 
that it is difficult to spread it well and it cannot be used 
at all for f rench-polishing, as it " drags " so badly. And 
although it sets quicker, it hardens slower than grain 
alcohol shellac. Denatured alcohol contains ten per cent. 
of wood alcohol, hence is to that extent inferior to the 
pure grain article. Yet it does very well, though it 
must be remembered that some denatured alcohol con- 
tains coal oil or benzine, and this is not fit for the dis- 



224 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

solution of shellac. Some contains turpentine, but in 
any case the denatured alcohol containing any of these 
liquids will, when mixed with an equal amount of water, 
give a milk-white liquid. But when alcohol has been 
denatured with wood alcohol alone no such effect is 
produced. An easy test. 

Preparing Shellac Varnish. — An authority states 
that about four-fifths of the shellac made in this country 
is made by dissolving five pounds of either white or 
brown shellac in a barrel, suspended on a center, and 
revolved at a speed of about 50 revolutions a minute. 
The resultant varnish is rather thin, having a tendency 
to settle. A good bodied shellac may be made by adding 
twenty-four ounces of best brown shellac, say D.C., 
or V.S.O., to the gallon of ninety-five per cent, alcohol. 
With brown button-lac, which is heavier and contains 
impurities, it will take two pounds to make a varnish 
equal in body to the former. To make a white shellac 
varnish add two pounds of white shellac to three quarts 
of ninety-five per cent, alcohol; this gives a good bodied 
varnish, using grain shellac. These varnishes may of 
course be reduced for use if desired. 

For shop use you may add as much as four pounds of 
shellac to the gallon of alcohol, or as much as the alcohol 
will cut, and then it can be thinned as used. It should 
be kept in a warm place in cold weather. 

If it becomes too thick by evaporation, or has de- 
teriorated by leaving the stopper off, in which case 
moisture from the air will have been taken in by the alco- 
hol, try adding a little turpentine to the mass, shaking it 
well. 

On the commercial scale shellac is usually cut in the 
proportion of 3, 4, and 5 pounds of lac to the gallon of 
alcohol, while an extra heavy shellac varnish is made 
by using 6}i pounds of lac to the gallon. Use 95 per 
cent, alcohol. As one gallon of 95 per cent, alcohol 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 225 

weighs 7.75 to 7.80 pounds per gallon, the solution will 
contain about 50 per cent, of shellac by weight. 

Artificial Shellac. — Many furniture makers use shel- 
lac over paste filling, thus saving a coat of varnish, and 
the shellac also stops suction left where the filler failed 
to perfectly satisfy the wood. At much less cost a sub- 
stitute shellac may be used, one having good surfacing 
qualities and one that may be thinned with benzine or 
turpentine. There is on the market what in the trade 
is known as French kauri gum, a substitute for the true 
and costly kauri. Here is a factory formula for mak- 
ing a substitute containing the French kauri. Shellac, 
100 lbs., French artificial kauri, 50 lbs., common rosin, 
50 lbs., gum camphor, 1 oz., acetone, 5 gals., and wood 
alcohol, 30 gals. 

The true color of orange shellac is hard to get in 
imitation brown or orange shellac, but one ounce of 
tincture of aurine, which is of mineral origin, will color 
a gallon of shellac substitute to the required true orange 
shellac color. Aurine will dissolve in either wood or 
grain alcohol. The process is a factory one, and not 
for the shop or small user. It may be bought ready 
made. 

Considerable imitation shellac is used for dipping 
articles in, in factories, or half and half of rosin and 
brown shellac, 2^ lbs. of each to the gallon of de- 
natured or wood alcohol. The rosin is pulverized. 
This gives a very dark shellac, and a lighter one may be 
made with white shellac and a light rosin, what is called 
water-white rosin being best for a very light liquid. 
Add more alcohol if desired thinner. Color also may 
be, and usually is, added to this dipping shellac. 

An excellent imitation of orange shellac may be made 
by a combination of Manila gum, prepared rosin, and an 
alcohol substitute. This latter is made from a mixture 
of liquid ingredients, and the resultant product presents 



226 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

the aspects of a variety of lacquer, while disclosing 
some of the peculiar features of genuine orange shellac 
with regard to drying and rubbing properties. Alcohol 
forms a part of the liquid solvent. Manila dust, with 
or without rosin, is used in place of the real shellac. 
Manila dust dissolves quickly at an ordinary tempera- 
ture in alcohol, producing a quick-drying varnish, but 
while quite transparent, it does not flow well, a charac- 
teristic of all spirit varnishes, however. 

Mention has already been made of the substance 
aurine, for coloring imitation shellac, which see, for the 
formula of the imitation explained here uses that color- 
ing. 

The liquid solvent mentioned is composed of four 
parts wood alcohol, two parts fusel oil, and one part of 
benzole, the liquids being thoroughly mixed. In the 
mixture is placed a fractional quantity of aurine, which 
is dissolved under constant agitation, or stirring. When 
the solution is complete it is allowed to settle and clarify 
before using. An ounce of this aurine tincture suffices 
for a gallon of imitation shellac. 

An English factory employs the following formula 
for making an imitation shellac varnish. The process 
calls for a revolving petroleum barrel, in which are 
placed the solids: Manila dust ioo lbs., prepared rosin 
50 lbs., common rosin 50 lbs., wood alcohol 25 galls., 
alcoholized naphtha 5 galls., acetone 3 galls. Then the 
liquids are placed in the barrel, which is then set to re- 
volving for about four hours without cessation. By 
that time the solids will have dissolved, when the aurine 
tincture may be admitted, using one quart of it. The 
varnish is then ready for use, but if allowed to stand 
for a period of time it will clarify some. 

The foregoing descriptions of methods for making 
artificial shellacs or substitutes are not intended for the 
practical use of finishers, who could hardly be expected 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER OT 

to manufacture the substance on any such scale, even if 
willing, especially when such varnishes may be bought 
ready made at a reasonable price. The idea in present- 
ing such processes is to show the workman how such 
things are produced; the descriptions are intended to be 
purely educational. 

Here is a shellac substitute, however, that any work- 
man may easily prepare in the shop. Take four pounds 
of China clay or finely pulverized silica and stir into it a 
quart of good japan liquid driers, beating the mass to a 
smooth paste. While stirring briskly add 1^2 gallons 
of the best hard oil finish or similar varnish, and then 
let the mass stand an hour or so; finally strain through 
a fine sieve; thin up with turpentine or benzine for use, 
very thin for soft wood, and heavier for hard wood. 

Water Shellac. — Shellac dissolved with water and 
an alkali dries much slower than alcohol shellac, but 
when dry it sandpapers and rubs just as well as the 
other, nor will it raise the grain of the wood as badly as 
alcohol shellac does. It sandpapers even easier than the 
other shellac does. For cheap work it makes a very 
satisfactory undercoating for varnish. As it does not 
set quick it may be brushed out better or smoother than 
alcohol shellac, hence requires less rubbing. 

Mixed with a strong solution of brown or white glue, 
according to character of work to be done, equal parts of 
glue and shellac, a good filler may be made for cheap 
work, that will bear out the varnish very nicely, and 
give a clean job with one coat of filler and one coat of 
cheap varnish. Two coats of better varnish will of 
course give a better finish, but costs more. 

To make water shellac, take one pound of pulverized 
shellac and one-half pound of powdered borax, and in a 
porcelain vessel containing a gallon of rain or soft water 
place these ingredients, place on stove and boil until dis- 
solved ; a water bath is better. There will be some resi- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

due from the shellac, likely, so that the liquid must be 
strained through cheesecloth; boil down to proper con- 
sistency. While some believe the addition of a little 
alcohol improves the shellac, yet this is not certain, but 
the addition of about 8 ounces to the gallon may be used 
for the purpose of making it have the odor of alcohol 
shellac. Some indeed mix together equal parts of al- 
cohol and water shellac, but this increases the cost of 
the article to that extent. Possibly the addition of more 
or less alcohol to water shellac may improve its quality. 
A Clear Alcoholic Solution of Shellac. — To make 
this form of shellac pour six parts of strong grain alco- 
hol over one part of bleached gum shellac, and shake 
occasionally until the lac is dissolved, which will require 
about ten to twelve hours. Then add one part of pow- 
dered chalk, and heat the mass over a water bath; let 
it then stand until it becomes clear, then pour off the 
clear portion and strain the sediment through filter 
paper, assisting the operation with a little alcohol. 

SOME NOTES ON SHELLAC. 

A little gum camphor added to shellac (or to copal 
varnish) will make it more pliable, or easier to spread. 

Any excess of moisture in shellac varnish may be re- 
moved by placing strips of gelatin in it; gelatin absorbs 
moisture readily. The strips can be removed after a 
short time. Old shellac is apt to become dull and 
spongy, by the evaporation of the spirit, which has pre- 
viously absorbed some water, which is left behind. 
Some prefer adding a little turpentine to it. 

Shellac is easily dissolved by an alkali, hence when it 
is desired to clean the shellac brush, soap and water will 
do it, first working it out in alcohol, to remove excess of 
shellac. In this way the brush may be kept clean and 
ready for use at any time. Any object coated with shel- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 229 

lac may in the same manner be cleared of the varnish 
by means of an alkali. 

In making up shellac varnish, remember that it takes 
less white shellac to the gallon of alcohol than brown 
shellac; where 3^ lbs. of orange shellac is used for a 
gallon of alcohol you would use but 3^4 lbs. of white. 

To color shellac varnish black, use lampblack ; for red 
use Chinese vermillion; for blue use Prussian blue. A 
very good quality of blue cannot be obtained. The col- 
ors should be dry and ground to a very fine powder. 
To mix, add the color to a little of the varnish, and work 
it to a smooth paste; then add varnish, and also alcohol 
if necessary, in proper quantity to make the mixture 
spread well. 

To pulverize brown shellac, place it in a strong bag, 
and beat with a mallet. Now and then sift out the finer 
parts and resume the hammering until all is pulverized. 

By adding about one-half ounce of oxalic acid to the 
quart of orange shellac varnish its color is brightened 
and the most of the impurities are removed. After add- 
ing the acid stir it, let it settle over night, then pour off 
the clear solution, throwing away the dregs. 

Shellac varnish that shows a tendency to work 
" short " and show frills on the work, may be improved 
by the addition of a few drops of lavender or almond 
oil. 

A French cabinet maker gives this as a good formula 
for shellac varnish intended for floor or furniture: 
Five pounds of pale orange shellac, one ounce of gum 
mastic, and five or six pints of alcohol ; dissolve cold 
in order to prevent evaporation, stirring constantly. 

If we mix rosin with pure orange shellac in the pro- 
portion of one-fourth of the latter to three-fourths of 
the former we get a varnish that will dry in the same 
time as pure orange shellac, while its adhesive power 
will be equal if not indeed superior to the pure alcohol- 



230 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

shellac varnish. But the pure shellac will give a harder 
coating than the one containing the rosin. 

By mixing two-thirds shellac with one-third rosin we 
get a slower drying varnish, and one with a softer coat- 
ing. Still, such a mixture will give very fair results, as 
it may be rubbed after about four or five hours, the sec- 
ond coating giving a high-gloss finish. 

When the shellac works tough under the brush try 
adding to it a little Venice turpentine. Gum camphor, 
as advised in the beginning of these notes, is also useful. 

Thin shellac varnish will cover about 400 square feet 
of white pine to the gallon, first coat. And 500 square 
feet to the gallon for the next coat. 

Gum camphor has the peculiar quality of making other 
gums flexible, and it may be added to any spirit varnish, 
though never in any large quantity, one ounce to the 
gallon of shellac or sandarach varnish being enough. 
To celluloid varnish it may be added to the extent of 25 
per cent, of the guncotton. 

Use a glue-set brush for applying shellac or any spirit 
varnish, as the alcohol will not affect the glue. 

Two coats of shellac, applied thin, are better than one 
heavy coat. Steel wool is better than sandpaper for 
smoothing between coats. Make no misses when shel- 
lacing, and never touch-up any missed part. Keep sur- 
face smooth. 

Thin up your shellac with pure alcohol, preferably 
grain, the denatured article answering when it does not 
contain any petroleum product. Some add a little tur- 
pentine. 

If brown shellac varnish, after application, turns 
white it is sure that it contained some water. As water 
mixes readily with alcohol some may have been added 
by the seller. 

Filter white shellac through several folds of cheese- 
cloth. Keep in a well stoppered bottle or jar. 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 231 

Adding a pound of Venice turpentine to the gallon of 
shellac that has been cut with wood alcohol will make it 
work easier under the brush. The proportion is, ten per 
cent, of the Venice turpentine to the shellac, by weight. 

Shellac varnish containing rosin is better used soon 
after making, or within reasonable time, as the lac will 
precipitate to the bottom in time, like a mass of rubber, 
and this mass never can be dissolved again. 

Grain alcohol denatured with wood alcohol alone can 
be used by varnish makers only, and is not sold to the 
general public. Ordinary denatured alcohol contains 
one per cent, of benzine, enough to injure the drying of 
the shellac, but not seriously. Shellac varnish manu- 
facturers obtain the " special denatured " alcohol with- 
out benzine by filing a bond with the Government that 
they will not sell any shellac varnish containing less than 
two pounds of lac to the gallon. The best shellac var- 
nish can not be made with benzine-denatured alcohol. 

Considerable shellac is mixed with Manila gum, by 
which adulteration it lacks in hardness and elasticity ; 
such should have a little Venice turpentine added to it. 

Nearly every user of shellac uses more or less T. N. 
shellac, and yet he may not know it, simply because he 
never meets with the lac under that name. Yet it com- 
prises sixty per cent, of all the shellac made in the course 
of the year. These initials stand for TRULY NA- 
TIVE, and it represents a very dark lac, selling at a low 
price. For any shellac purpose where color does not 
count it is as good as any at any price. 

Medium grades of orange, in which the dark lac is 
made paler by the use of arsenic, commonly known as 
orpiment. 

High grades of fine orange shellac, made from the 
highest grade of stick lac, which is known as " Koos- 
mie," and is gathered late in the fall from the Palas 
tree. A very clean grade of lac, with little or no orpi- 



232 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

ment, and used mostly by makers of high-grade furni- 
ture, for backs of mirrors, pattern work, and for plastic 
or composition materials. 

Garnet lac, the lac with the dye left in it, and used 
mostly by hat makers and makers of shoe blacking; it 
is made either pure or with ten per cent, added rosin. 
Years ago lac was used for its dye, the lac being dis- 
carded. 

Button lac is the same as orange shellac, only it con- 
tains more natural wax. It gets its name from its form. 

Tongue lac is exactly the same as button lac, differing 
in form only. 

Stick lac is the crude lac as it comes from the trees. 

Seed lac is the same as stick lac except that it is 
ground and washed, the lac dye being either partly or 
entirely removed. Used mainly by lacquer manufac- 
turers. 

Kal is an inferior garnet or button lac, and is made 
from the refuse from the other lacs. It contains also a 
large percentage of added rosin. 

On a hot, humid day shellac may become like sour 
cream in appearance, due to the absorption of water. 
In the best furniture finishing rooms shellaced articles 
are placed in a hot drying room as soon as they are done, 
this even in hot weather. 

To test shellac for purity, mix with ether; as shellac 
is insoluble in ether the presence of rosin is shown by 
partial solution. 

Shellac is the hardest known gum. Were it possible 
to dissolve it in turpentine or linseed oil, the same as 
with varnish gum, it would make the most durable of 
all varnishes for exterior work, in contact with atmos- 
pheric conditions. As it can be dissolved only in grain 
or wood alcohol it is useful only for interior work. 



CHAPTER XX 
A GLOSSARY 

ACID. — Acetic. — A colorless, pungent liquid, 
usually obtained by the destructive distillation of 
wood, or by the oxidation of alcohol with fer- 
ments. The acetic acid of commerce is an aqueous solu- 
tion containing 33-36 per cent, of glacial (pure) acetic 
acid. Vinegar contains 4 5-12 per cent. Boracic. — A 
colorless crystalline compound, obtained largely in vol- 
canic lagoons of Tuscany, Italy, and found in chemical 
combinations, as borax. Carbolic. — A white crystalline 
deliquescent compound with a burning taste, and an odor 
resembling that of creosote, contained in the heavy oil 
of tar, from which it is distilled. It is a caustic poison. 
Known also as phenol. Hydrochloric. — Known in com- 
merce as muriatic acid. The only known compound of 
chlorine and hydrogen. Obtained when equal quanti- 
ties of chlorine and hydrogen are mixed and exposed to 
the diffused light of day, the gases then combine, and 
form an unaltered volume of hydrochloric acid gas. 
The acid may, however, be more easily prepared by 
heating sodium chloride (common table salt) and sul- 
phuric acid in a flask. This acid is a colorless gas, 
1.269 times heavier than air, it fumes strongly in damp 
air, combining with the moisture, and has a strong acid 
reaction. It is very soluble in water, one volume of 
the acid at 15 deg. dissolving 454 volumes of the gas. 
This solution is the ordinary hydrochloric or muriatic 
acid of commerce. Muriatic. — So called because it was 
formerly thought to be an oxide of an unknown element, 

233 



234. THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Murium. Also called hydrochloric acid, which see. 
Nitric. — Formed by the action of sulphuric acid on 
nitrates and by other means. The pure acid is a color- 
less, fuming, corrosive liquid. Ordinary commercial 
nitric acid is yellowish in color. This acid is very active, 
dissociating very readily in water, and having also strong 
oxidizing qualities. It attacks most metals and certain 
other elements. It yellows and corrodes various or- 
ganic compounds. Known also as Aqua Fortis, or 
strong water. Oxalic. — A white crystalline poisonous 
compound found extensively in the vegetable kingdom, 
also made by the decomposition of sugar, etc., with nitric 
acid. Also called salts of lemon. Picric. — A yellow 
crystalline compound obtained by the action of nitric 
acid on phenol, and by other means. Pyrogallic. — Ob- 
tained from gallic acid by heat. Gallic acid is found in 
sumac, gallnuts, tea, etc. Made usually by decomposi- 
tion of gallnuts by fermentation. Salicylic. — A white 
crystalline compound contained in many plants, and also 
made from phenol. Sulphuric. — A colorless, very cor- 
rosive, oily liquid compound. Originally made by dis- 
tilling iron sulphate (green vitriol), hence its name, oil 
of vitriol. It is the most important acid used in the arts. 
Do not confound it with sulphurous acid (sulphur di- 
oxide), which is simply the fumes of burning sulphur 
combined with the oxygen of the air; the burning brim- 
stone match gives forth sulphurous acid. There are 
various methods for making sulphurous acid, which need 
not be given here. Tartaric. — A colorless crystalline 
compound occurring largely in the vegetable kingdom, 
either as a potassium or calcium salt. Usually pre- 
pared commercially from argol, which is the crude tartar 
found at the bottom of wine casks. 

Acetone. — An inflammable liquid with a biting taste, 
obtained by the destructive distillation of certain acetates, 
citric acid, starch, sugar, or gum. Used in making 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 235 

chloroform, and as a solvent for fats, camphor and 
resins. 

Alcohol. — Ethyl. — Grain alcohol. Obtained by fer- 
mentation and distillation of rye, wheat, etc. Methyl. — 
Wood alcohol, wood spirits, carbinol; distilled from 
wood. Denatured. — The addition of ten per cent, of 
wood alcohol " denatures " it, according to law. For gen- 
eral commercial use benzine is added, the first mentioned 
article being allowed to manufacturers of varnish, etc., 
only, under special permit. Hence, denatured commer- 
cial alcohol is not so desirable for many uses that a 
painter and wood finisher finds for alcohol, owing to the 
presence of the benzine. In Great Britain denatured 
alcohol is known as methylated spirits. Absolute. — 
Absolute alcohol is that which is entirely free of water, 
a condition not obtainable by ordinary distillation, and 
effected only by the use of some dehydrating substance, 
as quicklime. Commercial absolute alcohol contains 
about one per cent, of water, and is used only for special 
purposes. As used in the U. S. Pharmacopceia alcohol 
means a solution of ninety-one per cent, by weight of 
ethyl alcohol and 9 per cent, of water. Proof spirit, 
or dilute alcohol, 45.5 per cent, by weight of alco- 
hol, 54.5 per cent, of water. Amyl. — Amyl alcohol is 
the principal constituent of fusel oil, etc. 

Alkali. — Anything that will neutralize an acid, as 
lime, magnesia, ammonia, soda, potash, etc. 

Alkanet. — A red color extracted from the roots of a 
plant, the Alkanna tinctoria, found growing in Europe 
and America. 

Alizarine. — An orange-red crystalline compound for- 
merly obtained from the madder plant, but now made 
from the coal tar product, Anthracene. 

Aloes. — An intensely bitter resinous substance con- 
sisting of the inspissated juices of the leaves of several 
species of the aloes. 



236 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Alum. — Sulphate of potash and aluminum. Potash 
alum. 

Ammonia. — A colorless gaseous compound of hydro- 
gen and nitrogen. Aqua ammonia or ammonia water is 
a solution of gaseous anhydrous ammonia in water. It 
should contain ten per cent, of the gas by weight, and 
the " stronger ammonia " twenty-eight per cent. Am- 
monia is very soluble in water, liquefiable and solidi- 
fiable by cold and pressure; it is strongly alkaline and 
combines readily with acids to form ammonia salts. 

Ammonium. — Phosphate. — A combination of am- 
monia and phosphoric acid. Sulphate. — A salt formed 
by the union of ammonia and sulphuric acid. Chloride. 
— Sal ammoniac, which see. Carboitate. — A variable 
mixture of ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium car- 
bonate. 

Aqua Regia. — Meaning " Royal water." Certain 
metals, such as gold and platinum, and many metallic com- 
pounds, such as certain sulphides, which do not dissolve 
in either nitric or hydrochloric acid separately, are read- 
ily soluble in a mixture of these two acids, especially 
upon warming. 

Aniline. — An oily poisonous basic liquid, colorless 
when pure, now chiefly made by the reduction of nitro- 
benzene. It may be regarded as ammonia in which one 
hydrogen atom has been replaced by the radical phenyl. 
In commercial language aniline, or aniline oil, for blue, 
signifies pure aniline; aniline for red, a mixture of ani- 
line and o-and-p-toluidine ; and aniline for saf ranine, 
aniline containing o-toluidine. 

Annotta. — Annatta, arnotta, etc. A red or yellowish- 
red dye prepared from the pulp surrounding the seeds 
of a tropical American tree. 

Antimony Trichloride. — Butter of antimony. A 
compound obtained as a soft, white, fuming crystalline 
mass by dissolving antimony trisulphide in hydrochloric 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 237 

acid and distilling. Butter of antimony enters into most 
formulas for furniture polish, because it is a good 
cleanser, without affecting the luster. 

Barium Chloride. — A salt obtained by fusing barite, 
a native sulphate of barium, with calcium chloride. 

Barytes. — Sulphate of baryta. Most important of 
the salts of barium. Barytes is commonly known as 
heavy spar. 

Benzene. — Obtained by distilling benzoic acid with 
lime, and by the action of heat on various organic sub- 
stances. Obtained commercially by the destructive dis- 
tillation of coal. 

Benzine. — Obtained by distillation from petroleum. 

Benzol. — Also benzole. In Germany, and to some 
extent in Great Britain, the term benzole is used for 
what we call benzene. Benzol is a mixture of the ben- 
zine series, obtained in the refinement of coal tar. The 
two principal varieties are known as 90 per cent, benzol, 
and which actually contains about 70 per cent, benzene, 
24 per cent, toluene, and 6 per cent, xylene, carbon di- 
sulphide, and other substances, and 50 per cent, benzol, 
containing relatively more toluene and xylene, and al- 
most no carbon disulphide. 

Brazilwood. — A number of tropical American trees 
yield dyes, as the sapanwood, peachwood, limawood, 
camwood, barwood, brazilwood, and red sanders or 
sandalwood. These give red or purple dyes. 

Brunoleine. — A preparation used to give the appear- 
ance of age to oak, or to make imitation old oak. To 
make it, boil 7 parts of linseed oil with 2 parts of litharge 
and 2 parts of red lead in a large kettle until the pale red 
liquid is converted into a thick brown mass which be- 
comes solid when cold. Reduce this solid body into 
pieces, pour 16 parts of turpentine over it and dissolve 
by stirring or by the use of heat. This is filtered through 
linen, and the clear liquid obtained is mixed with 3 parts 



238 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

of wax-turpentine solution. If necessary, color with a 
solution of asphaltum in turpentine for a lively brown 
tone. 

Campeachy Extract. — Logwood extract. 

Carbonate. — Magnesia. — The white magnesia is a 
varying mixture of carbonate and hydrate, made by pre- 
cipitating a hot solution of magnesium sulphate with 
sodium carbonate. Potash. — Commercially known as 
pearlash and potash. Soda. — Known in commerce as 
soda ash. Made on a large scale from sea salt. 

Caustic Soda. — Sodium hydroxide. Made by boil- 
ing lime and carbonate of soda together with water, and 
evaporating down the clear solution. 

Carbon Disulphide. — A clear liquid which, when not 
perfectly pure, has a very offensive odor. Dissolves 
rubber, etc. 

Carmine. — There are several carmines. Made from 
the cochineal insect. Carmine lake is made from car- 
mine and alum. Indigo carmine is of the same class. 

China Clay. — Kaolin. A very pure white clay, ob- 
tained from the decomposition of aluminous minerals, 
especially feldspar. Known also as porcelain clay, be- 
cause used in making fine porcelain ware. 

China Wood Oil. — Tung oil. Described at some 
length in another part of this book. 

Catechu. — That mostly used is called Bengal catechu, 
and is an extract of the wood of either of two East 
Indies acacias. Gambier catechu is from an East Indies 
shrub. Cutch is from several tropical Asiatic plants. 
The wood, leaves, or fruits are used in obtaining the 
coloring matter, by decoction and evaporation. 

Chloride of Lime. — Calcium chloride. A mixture of 
calcium and calcium hypochlorite; bleaching powder. 

Chloride of Sulphur. — Sulphuryl chloride. A color- 
less, slightly fuming liquid, obtained by direct union of 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 239 

sulphur dioxide and chlorine by sunlight and otherwise. 
Treated with water it decomposes, forming sulphuric 
and hydrochloric acids — hence also called sulphuric 
chloranhydride. 

Collodium. — Collodion. A viscous liquid consisting 
of a mixture of alcohol and ether in which soluble gun- 
cotton or pyroxyllin is dissolved. On evaporation of the 
solvents the pyroxyllin remains in a tough adhesive form, 
in which condition it is used for photo-films, etc. 

Copperas. — Ferrous sulphate. Sulphate of iron. 
Green vitriol. A green crystalline substance. 

Creosote. — An oily liquid, colorless when pure, but 
usually colored yellow or brown by impurities or expo- 
sure. It is obtained by the distillation of wood tar, 
especially that of beechwood. A similar substance is 
obtained from coal tar. Creosote is obtained from creo- 
sote oil by purification. 

Cupric Chloride. — Chloride of copper. Formed when 
copper is brought into chlorine gas, or when copper oxide 
is dissolved in hydrochloric acid; it forms green needle- 
shaped crystals, soluble in water and alcohol. 

Cupric Sulphate. — Sulphate of copper, blue vitriol, 
bluestone. Largely made by dissolving copper oxide in 
sulphuric acid. It crystallizes in large blue crystals. 

Dammar. — A resin obtained from various pinaceous 
trees of the genus Dammara, in Australia, New Zealand, 
and the East Indies. D. Alba is from the Amboyna 
pine ; D. Australis is from the Kauri pine. Batavia dam- 
mar simply means that it came from the principal ship- 
ping point, of that name. The so-called Batavia dammar 
is considered to represent the best. 

Decoction. — Applied to the extract of a substance 
secured by boiling in water. 

Dextrine. — A soluble gummy substance obtained by 
the action of heat, acids, or ferments on starch. When 



240 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

pure it is a white amorphous solid, tasteless and odor- 
less. There are several varieties, and it is used as a sub- 
stitute for other and costlier gums. 

Digest. — To extract soluble substance as from bark, 
etc., in alcohol; to soften by heat or moisture. 

Dragon's Blood. — The true dragon's blood of com- 
merce is obtained from the Malayan rattan palm, from 
whose fruit the resin exudes. Socotrine dragon's blood, 
from the island of Socotra, is probably the " cinnabar " 
of the ancients. 

Epsom Salts. — Magnesium sulphate. Obtained 
mainly from the mineral kieserite. Formerly obtained 
by boiling down the mineral waters of Epsom, England. 

Ether. — Obtained by the distillation of alcohol with 
suphuric acid, hence also known as sulphurous ether. 
A powerful solvent of fats, oils, resins, etc. Anaesthetic. 

French Berries. — The fruit of several European 
species of Rhamnus. Produces a yellow dye. 

Fusel Oil.- — ■ An acrid, oily liquid of vile odor, ac- 
companying the making of potato spirits, corn spirits, 
etc. It consists chiefly of amyl alcohol, hence is known 
also as amyl alcohol. 

Fustic. — A light yellow dye obtained from the wood 
of a tree growing in Mexico and West Indies. 

Gamboge. — An orange-red resin, which becomes 
bright yellow when powdered. The best conies from 
Cambodia, Siam. 

Gelatin. — Animal jelly or glue. Isinglass. 

Glycerine. — A sweet syrupy liquid, colorless, odor- 
less, and obtained by the saponification of the neutral 
fats and oils, which are composed of glycerin with vari- 
ous acids. It is a by-product of soap and candle fac- 
tories. 

Glauber Salts. — See Sulphate of Soda. 

Gum. — Any of a number of amorphous, tasteless sub- 
stances, exuded in most cases by plants, and hardening 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 241 

on exposure to the air. Their chief constituents are cer- 
tain carbohydrates, as arabic acid, bassorin, etc. Some 
(true gums) form clear solutions with water, while 
others (vegetable mucilages) swell up in water into a 
glutinous mass. All are insoluble in alcohol. They 
may be true secretions, or transformation products of 
cellulose, as in cherry gum, etc. 

Loosely, any of various plant exudations, including the 
gums proper, resins, gum resins, etc. 

Gum resins are essentially a mixture of gum and resin, 
usually obtained by making an incision in a plant and 
allowing the juice which exudes to solidify by evapora- 
tion. Gum resins are, in accordance with their composi- 
tion, partially soluble in alcohol. Some substances com- 
monly called gums are gum resins ; they usually originate 
as excretion products in special canals or glands. See 
also Resin. 

Henna, Tincture of. — From the leaves of a thorny 
tree or shrub of Asia there is obtained a reddish-orange 
dye, called henna, or alhenna. 

Indigo. — Made artificially from naphthaline. For- 
merly made entirely from the indigo plant, or from sev- 
eral indeed, but the indigo coloring did not exist in the 
plant as such, but was obtained by decomposition of 
indican, and which contains besides indigo blue various 
other substances, unless specially purified. 

Indigo Carmine. — The sodium or potassium salt of 
indigotin disulphuric acid (indigo extract). Sold usu- 
ally in the form of a paste. 

Iron Acetone. — A liquid formed by the action of 
acetic acid on iron filings. 

Japan. — Derives name from a varnish used in Japan 
and obtained by tapping a tree called the varnish tree. 
In the painting trade japan means a drying agent. 
There are various kinds, namely : Brown, which is the 
kind generally used by house painters for adding to paint 



242 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

to assist its drying; of course there are several qualities 
or grades of brown japan. Black japan is really a black 
varnish, used by coach painters. Coach japan is a good 
quality drier used by coach painters. The color of a 
drying japan depends upon the siccative agent used, and 
the amount of boiling the liquid receives. The dark 
japan is a quicker drier than the light or so-called white 
japan. The latter is a very slow drier, but is useful in 
white paint or light tints. Japan gold size is light in 
color, but a strong drier. It all depends upon method 
of manufacture. For the wood finisher the dark japans 
are usually the most useful. 

Kilo. — A prefix meaning thousand, used in forming 
names of units of measurement, as in kilogram, kilo- 
meter, kilowatt. A kilo is 2.2 pounds. 

Keystone Filler. — A mineral found at Muncy, Penna., 
and much used by coach painters for mixing filler or 
roughstuff. It is a kind of umber. 

Kaolin. — See China Clay. 

Lacquer. — From lac, shellac, or shellac varnish. 

Lead Acetate. — Sugar of lead. A drying agent, used 
in making " patent drier," and useful in white paint. A 
colorless or white crystal salt with a sweet, astringent 
and metallic taste, made by dissolving lead in vinegar, 
and in other ways. It is an irritant poison, producing 
burning pains, vomiting, etc. 

Lime. — A caustic, highly infusible substance, white 
when pure, obtained by burning limestone, oyster shells, 
etc. Known also as quicklime. Calcium oxide. Lime 
slaked with water is calcium hydroxide. Lime slaked in 
the air is carbonate of lime. 

Litharge. — A yellowish-red substance obtained by 
heating lead moderately in presence of air, or by calcin- 
ing lead nitrate or lead carbonate. Practically the same 
as red lead. 

Logwood. — The heartwood of a Central American 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 243 

tree. It is very hard, and of a brown or brownish-red 
color. Imported in logs, hence its name. Logwood 
chips and extract are used in dyeing. 

Malaxing. — To soften by kneading, rubbing, mixing, 
or by stirring some thinner substance. 

Manganate of Soda. — A salt of manganic acid. 
Various manganates are formed as green masses by 
fusion of manganese dioxide with alkalies, oxides, or 
carbonates. Those of sodium (manganate of soda), 
potassium (manganate of potash), and barium are per- 
haps the best known. 

Magnesium Chloride. — A fusible salt obtained by 
evaporating magnesia dissolved in hydrochloric acid with 
an equal quantity of sal ammoniac; on fusion, the latter 
salt volatilizes, and the magnesium chloride remains 
behind. 

Marble Dust. — Simply crushed and pulverized lime- 
stone. Large quantities are used in making what is 
called " putty." 

Neat's-foot Oil. — A pale yellowish fixed oil made by 
boiling the feet and shins of neat cattle. It consists 
almost wholly of olein and is used as a fine lubricant and 
leather dressing. 

Nitrate of Silver. — A salt obtained in the form of 
colorless crystals by dissolving silver in nitric acid and 
evaporating it. In contact with organic matter it turns 
black. 

Nickel Chloride. — See Chloride of Lime, concerning 
Chloride. 

Oil of Amber. — Amber varnish. 

Oxalate of Tin. — An oxalate is an ester or salt of 
oxalic acid. 

Ozokerite. — Mineral wax. A waxy, translucent sub- 
stance or natural paraffin, occurring usually in coal meas- 
ures, sometimes in large quantities. See Paraffin. 

Paraffin. — A wax produced in distilling wood, lignite. 



244 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

coal, etc., and occurring in the earth as Ozokerite, either 
as a solid deposit, or as a constituent of petroleum. 
Pure paraffin is white or colorless and odorless and with- 
out taste. Chemically it is perfectly inert. 

Parquetry. — A species of joinery consisting of an 
inlay of geometrical or other patterns, usually of various 
colors. Used especially for floors. 

Petroleum Ether. — A term sometimes used to des- 
ignate 62 deg. benzine. 

Persian Berries. — The dried berries of various 
European and Asiatic species of Rhamnus, producing 
with tin salts a yellow lake. 

Prussiate of Potash. — There are the red and yellow 
prussiates, the latter being non-poisonous. 

Potash. — Caustic potash. Potassium hydroxide. 
Prepared by boiling 1 part of carbonate of potash with 
12 parts of water, and adding slaked lime prepared from 
2-3 part of quicklime. In this reaction calcium carbon- 
ate (chalk) is formed, which falls to the bottom as a 
heavy powder, caustic potash remaining in solution. 
The clear liquid, which should not effervesce on addition 
of an acid, is evaporated in a silver basin to dryness, 
fused by exposure to a stronger heat and cast into sticks 
in a metallic mold. This prepared caustic potash is a 
white substance, soluble in half its weight of water, and 
is highly corrosive to the skin. 

Phenol. — A colorless or pinkish crystalline substance 
produced by the destructive distillation of wood, coal, 
etc., and from the heavy oil from coal tar. Its odor re- 
sembles that of creosote. Generally called Carbolic 
Acid, which see. 

Plaster of Paris. — So called because originally 
brought from a suburb of Paris. Made from gypsum. 
When gypsum is moderately heated it loses its water, 
and becomes plaster of Paris. This, when moistened- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 245 

takes up two atoms of water again and sets to a solid 
mass. 

Pumice. — Pumicestone. A highly vesicular volcanic 
glass or froth, the color of which is white, gray, yellow- 
ish, or brownish, but rarely red. The imported is best 
for rubbing with, being free from grit, from which the 
American article is not sufficiently free. 

Quercitron Bark. — The bark of a large timber oak 
of the Eastern United States, whose foliage resembles 
that of the red oak ; its inner bark is yellow. 

Resin. — ■ Any of various solid or semi-solid organic 
substances, chiefly of vegetable origin, yellowish to 
brown (usually) transparent or translucent, and soluble 
in ether, alcohol, etc., but not in water. Resins soften 
and melt on heating and burn with a smoky flame. 
Chemically they differ widely, but all are rich in carbon 
and hydrogen and contain also some oxygen. Many 
are oxidation products of the terpenes and are produced 
as exudates from plants either alone or as mixtures with 
essential oils (oleoresins), with gums (gum resins), etc., 
being chiefly excretion products. Some are obtained 
from alcoholic extracts by addition of water, and some 
are made artificially, as by the action of caustic potash 
on aldehyde. The chief constituents of the natural 
resins are certain esters and acids and resenes. Among 
the resins of commerce are : Amber, copal, dammar, 
guaiacum, lac, mastic, rosin, and sandarach. 

Rosin. — The residue from the turpentine still. 
Known also as North Carolina copal. Its better name 
perhaps is colophony. 

Rose Pink. — Whiting dyed with a decoction of 
brazilwood and alum. 

Rose Madder. — An alumina lake of madder or ali- 
zarine; of a pale rose color. 

Rose Lake. — Same as Madder Lake. 



246 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

Rottenstone. — A friable siliceous stone, the residue 
of a siliceous limestone whose calcareous matter has been 
removed by the solvent action of water. Also called 
Tripoli powder. 

Sal Ammoniac. — Ammonia and its compounds are 
now obtained mainly from the ammonia liquors of gas- 
works. Adding hydrochloric acid to the liquid and 
evaporating the solution produces the sal ammoniac of 
commerce. Quicklime and sal ammoniac give chloride 
of lime. 

Salt. — Table salt. Sal culinarius. Chloride of soda. 
It is from this salt that almost all the other sodium com- 
pounds are prepared. 

Sal Soda. — Washing soda. Soda carbonate. Soda 
crystals. Carbonate of soda, which see. 

Saturated Solution. — When water has taken up all 
of a solid that it can hold in suspension, as of salt for 
instance, it is said to be a saturated solution. 

Savogran. — A commercial cleanser containing certain 
alkaline substances. 

Soda Ash. — Same as carbonate of soda. 

Sulphate of Soda. — Glauber's salts is the commercial 
term. 

Spirits of Wine. — See Alcohol. 

Stannous Chloride. — Obtained by dissolving tin in 
hydrochloric acid ; it separates out in needle-shaped crys- 
tals, when the solution is concentrated. In commerce 
known as tin salts. Used in dyeing and as a mordant. 

Sweet Oil. — Oil from the olive. 

Sulphate of Hydrogen. — Hydrogen sulphate, known 
in commerce as brown oil of vitriol. A thick oily liquid, 
combining with water with great force, and used in the 
laboratory as a drying agent, as it absorbs moisture 
rapidly from the air. Great heat is evolved when this 
acid is mixed with water, and care must be taken to 
bring the two together gradually, otherwise an explosive 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 247 

combination may ensue. Many organic bodies, such as 
woody fiber and sugar, are completely decomposed and 
charred by strong sulphuric acid. See Acid. 

Soda. — Sodium, a metal, silver-white, and soft at 
ordinary temperatures. When thrown upon water it 
floats, and rapidly decomposes the water with disengage- 
ment of hydrogen, soda being formed. The compounds 
of sodium are very widely diffused, being contained in 
every particle of dust, sea water containing nearly 3 per 
cent, of sodium chloride or common table salt. Sodium 
carbonate (see Carbonate of Soda) is made on a large 
scale from sea salt. 

Sodium Chloride. — Common table salt. See Salt. 

Sodium Bicarbonate. — Bicarbonate of Soda. Bak- 
ing soda. Saleratus (Aerated salt). Obtained by ex- 
posing the crystallized carbonate of soda in an atmos- 
phere of carbonic acid gas. Heating will convert it 
again to the carbonate form. 

Spermaceti. — See Wax. 

Steatite. — Soapstone, a variety of talc, which see. 

Stearin. — A constituent of many animal and vege- 
table fats and oils. Tallow owes its firmness to the 
presence of stearin. Olein is the liquid or oily part, and 
stearin the solid part of oil or fat. 

Silver White. — A pure variety of white lead, but 
more commonly known to painters as a filler material, a 
fine grade of pulverized silica. 

Sulphate of Copper. — Blue vitriol. Bluestone, the 
common name, it being in large blue crystals. Made by 
dissolving copper oxide in sulphuric acid. 

Talc. — A soft mineral of a soapy feel; usually whit- 
ish, greenish, or grayish color. Soapstone and French 
chalk are varieties of talc. Talcum powder is a toilet 
article composed of powdered talc and a perfume. 

Tannin. — Chemically tannic acid. 

Tannic Acid. — Tannin, gallotannic acid. Obtained 



248 THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 

from gallnuts, which contain 50 per cent, or more; and 
from sumac, tea, etc. In brownish-white shining scales. 
Basis of writing ink and dyes. Strongly astringent. 

Tartar. — Salt of. — Potass, carbonate, especially a 
pure form made by heating cream of tartar. Cream of. 
— Purified tartar. Chem., acid potass, tartrate, or 
potass, bitartrate. Tartar is the crystalline sediment of 
wine casks. 

Terra Alba. — White earth. An old name for levi- 
gated gypsum. Gypsum ground in water and " floated," 
and dried. Plaster of Paris is calcined gypsum. 

Tincture. — The finer and more soluble parts of a sub- 
stance separated by a solvent. 

Turmeric. — A vegetable dye, a yellow, and there may 
be used in its stead, answering the same purpose, Persian 
berries or quercitron bark. 

Verdigris. — Copper Acetate. A dark green salt, pois- 
onous. Obtained by action of acetic acid on copper. 
Formerly used in painting, but besides being poisonous it 
was liable to fade, blacken, and react with other sub- 
stances. 

Water Bath. — To prevent the overheating or burning 
of a substance that is to be boiled it is placed in a vessel, 
which is placed within a second vessel containing water, 
which, upon heating or boiling, heats the first vessel's 
contents sufficiently and without endangering it from 
overheating. 

Water Glass. — Soluble glass. Silicate of soda. 
Silicate of potash. A substance consisting of silica 
which has been liquefied by extreme heat and pressure, 
in connection with potash or soda, potash giving potas- 
sium silicate, and soda sodium silicate, the latter being 
the more generally used by painters. It is a syrupy 
liquid, dissolvable in water. 

Wax. — Bayberry, a fragrant green wax from the 
Bayberry or wax myrtle ; called also myrtle wax. Bees- 



THE EXPERT WOOD FINISHER 249 

wax, secreted by the bee, and used in the making of the 
honeycomb. A dull yellow solid wax, of agreeable odor, 
melts at 142 to 148 deg. F. Can be purified and bleached 
white, in which condition it is tasteless, odorless, and 
somewhat brittle. Insoluble in water, partially soluble 
in boiling alcohol, and miscible in all proportions with 
fats and oils (turpentine of course). Carnauba wax, 
obtained from the Brazil wax palm. It is yellow in color 
and brittle. Used in making candles. Ceresin wax is an 
amorphous substance, the insoluble part of cherry gum. 
Japan wax is obtained from the Japan wax tree, a 
Japanese sumac. Paraffin wax, see Paraffin. Sperma- 
ceti is a yellowish or white wax, solid, obtained from the 
oil of the sperm whale. 

Whiting. — Calcium carbonate. There are various 
forms, as crude, commercial, gilders' bolted, English 
cliffstone, Paris white, Spanish white, all whitings made 
from chalk, but differing in grade or quality, according 
to amount of preparation in the making. 

Woad. — A coloring matter from the woad plant, 
Isatis tinctoria, resembling indigo, consisting of the pow- 
dered and fermented leaves of the plant. Its essential 
constituent, indigotin, is identical with that of indigo, 
which has largely superseded it in dyeing. 

Zinc Chloride. — Chloride of zinc. A white soluble 
deliquescent substance, formed by burning zinc in chlor- 
ine, or by dissolving zinc in hydrochloric acid. 

Zinc Sulphate. — A soluble salt, crystallizing in long 
prisms, and commonly called white vitriol. 



THE END 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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